Porzingis shares his thoughts on building chemistry with Al Horford and Draymond Green as a member of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors made a big move at the trade deadline when they sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for center Kristaps Porzingis, and now the 7-foot-2 big man is starting to settle in with his new teammates.
Porzingis made his long-awaited Warriors debut on Thursday night at Chase Center against the Boston Celtics, finishing with 12 points in 17 minutes during a 121-110 loss that dropped Golden State to 29-27 on the season.
After the game, Porzingis was asked about how he sees himself fitting alongside veteran big men Al Horford and Draymond Green, who have both played key roles for the Warriors this season.
Porzingis on Chemistry With Horford
Porzingis feels good about playing with Horford again because they already know each other's games really well after spending two seasons together in Boston, where they won an NBA championship in 2024.
"I don't know, it's hard to say," Porzingis said. "I mean obviously I know Al from the Celtics and he knows me really well, so that's going to be easy."
That chemistry was on display right away in the debut, as Horford found Porzingis down low for a mismatch dunk that gave the big man his first two points as a Warrior.
Horford, who is averaging 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season, was happy with what he saw from his former Celtics teammate and thinks it will only get better with time.
Finding a Rhythm With Draymond Green
When it comes to Green, Porzingis said it will take a little more time to find their groove together since they haven't played on the same team before, but he is confident it will come quickly because of how smart and vocal Green is on the floor.
"I think with how vocal and how experienced Draymond is, it's also just a matter of time to find a good rhythm to kind of see how I play and catch up," Porzingis said. "He already knows my tendencies from playing against each other."
Green, who is putting up 8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game this season, played alongside Porzingis during his first stint in the second quarter but the pairing struggled early as the Celtics went on a 17-2 run.
Porzingis acknowledged that it won't happen overnight but said he believes the connection will come sooner rather than later.
"To get to that rhythm you need obviously a little bit of time on the court," Porzingis said. "We'll find it, but I think also I'm a player who can find that rhythm pretty quickly. It's just a matter of getting a feel for each other and then we'll be fine."
Can the Fit Work or Will It Fall Apart?
On paper, the fit between Porzingis, Horford, and Green looks like it could give the Warriors exactly what they need heading into the second half of the season since Porzingis provides a shooting and rim-protecting presence they haven't had during the Stephen Curry era.
The biggest concern isn't whether the skills match up but whether Porzingis can stay healthy, as the 30-year-old has played just 17 games this season due to Achilles tendinitis and various other setbacks, and he hasn't played three straight games since last year.
Steve Kerr pointed out after the debut that playing two bigs without Curry on the floor, who remains out with a knee injury, makes spacing tough and that the Warriors need to figure that out quickly with just 26 games left in the regular season.
If Porzingis, Green, and Horford can find that rhythm and Curry returns soon, the Warriors could make a real push up from the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but if health issues continue to pile up, this experiment could fall flat before it ever gets off the ground.