Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis has been out of the lineup for the past four games. According to injury reports, the Latvian big man has been dealing with an illness and will be out for the fifth straight game on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Since being traded by the Atlanta Hawks, Porzingis has only appeared in one game for his new team.
The big man's injury has been a major concern this season. Even when he was with the Hawks, he dealt with an illness. It has affected his availability, and he wasn't able to join the team's short two-game road trip.
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Ahead of their contest against the Clippers, head coach Steve Kerr addressed Porzingis' status, which doesn't look good.
“Not really,” Kerr said when asked if there’s clarity about Porzingis’ illness. “It’s a little mysterious. We’re obviously working with him and hoping that he can get some clarity and he can break through and get to a point where he’s consistently healthy.
“But that’s something that the medical staff is working hard on with him, and I’m not gonna deposit any medical theories anymore.”
Porzingis has proven to be a valuable asset in the Warriors' lineup in just one game of playing. His size and ability to stretch the floor came in handy, despite the 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics on Feb. 19.
Steve Kerr Takes Back His Comments on Kristaps Porzingis' Injury
On Friday, Kerr appeared as a guest on 95.7 The Game's "Willard and Dubs." During his time on the show, he was asked about Porzingis' health issue. He talked about his exchange with Hawks' general manager, Onsi Saleh, regarding the big man's health.
"I read about the POTS diagnosis and called the Hawks [general manager] Onsi Saleh," Kerr said. "He's a good friend of mine and I said 'Is this POTS story real?' He said it's actually not POTS. That was some misinformation that was out there."
After that, he backtracked on his comments ahead of the Warriors' game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I can't really say anything more on it," he said. "It's a medical issue way beyond my capabilities explaining anything. He's sick. He won't play. We will keep monitoring him."
"It was a stupid mistake by me to talk about something I'm not qualified to talk about," Kerr said. "Even trying to discuss the diagnosis, that was a mistake. I need to leave that to professionals."
As of the recent injury update on Porzingis, Kerr refuses to make any elaborate explanations about the big man's health issue.