Kristaps Porzingis has arrived in the Bay Area, positioned to be the potential answer for the Golden State Warriors as they make their push for the playoffs and try to maximize the time Steph Curry has left in his career. Despite the gut punch that was Jimmy Butler's ACL tear a few weeks ago, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warriors' front office decided to use Jonathan Kuminga's trade demand to bolster the team in his absence for the rest of the season.

On paper, Porzingis looks good, providing a mixture of shooting and rim protection that the Warriors haven't ever had. However, his health is the main concern, considering he's played just 17 games this season with the Hawks and has played more than 60 games just once since 2017.

Curry is obviously the player that matters most on this team, and he's poised to gain a lot from Porzingis as a running mate on offense. The future Hall of Famer gave his initial thoughts on the trade and expressed his optimism.

"I'm learning some Latvian. I'm just hoping he's healthy, first and foremost, so that he can do what he can do on the floor. Him and Al (Horford) won a championship together. Different context, but there's a familiarity and skill set and size and presence that we've been looking for a while."

Curry also discussed the status of the team and how they navigated the situations.

"Deadline is always tricky because you are trying to make the right appropriate move and then everything is obviously in the context of Jimmy's injury and what's possible. I'm excited with what KP can bring. You saw the fight tonight. We'll learn each other as we go."

Since the Warriors' dynasty started in the early 2010's, they haven't had a player of Porzingis' talents at the center position.

In the height of the dynasty, traditional centers like Andrew Bogut, Zaza Pachulia, and JaVale McGee provided size, rebounding, and solid interior defense, but didn't offer much on offense beyond rim-running, screens, and, in Bogut's case, playmaking. Kevon Looney also filled the same role in the Warriors' post-2020 iterations.

On the flip side, DeMarcus Cousins was an offensive-minded player in his first year, as was Quinten Post before his defensive improvement this season, allowing for a dynamic three-point threat.

Outside of Draymond Green playing small ball when he was a capable shooter in the mid-2010's, the Warriors have never had a mix of shooting and rim protection like Porzingis. In addition, his 7-foot-2 frame is a new one that automatically changes the way the Warriors might play defense when he does hit the court.

It's unclear when Porzingis will finally be cleared to play, but the excitement will be brewing until that time arrives.