Steve Kerr Acknowledges Loss of Kristaps Porzingis in Opening Loss to Lakers

The Golden State Warriors lost their season opener to the Los Angeles Lakers 127-105. It was a highly anticipated matchup for both sides, but the veteran Lakers got the best of an inexperienced Warriors squad. 

Before this game, news broke that Golden State forward Kristaps Porzingis would be away from the team and was considering retirement as he deals with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, an illness that affects his breathing. 

Porzingis was slated to be the starting center for the Warriors this season, but this now leaves them short-handed in the frontcourt. 

After the game, head coach Steve Kerr talked about the impact of Porzingis’ absence and how it affected the game against Los Angeles. 

“You can’t deny that Kristaps was plugged in our starting lineup … his absence is definitely a blow,” Kerr said. 

Los Angeles Lakers’ center Walker Kessler had an impressive game against the Warriors' small starting lineup. He finished the game with 26 points on 12-for-12 shooting from the floor. Standing at 7’2”, he was able to come away with easy dunks in the interior. 

They were also able to out-rebound the Warriors 43-36, and they had complete control of the paint. Moving forward, this issue with the frontcourt could derail Golden State’s season in a hurry. 

In the season opener, Golden State started Gui Santos and Draymond Green at power forward and center, and Santos provided some production; Green was not much of a factor on either end of the floor. 

It may be time for the front office to start looking at free-agent big men, or potentially find a solution via trade. The issue on the interior may continue to be a problem against teams like the Nuggets, Thunder, and Spurs. 

For Golden State to be competitive in that area, its frontcourt will have to be up to par with the rest of the Western Conference. 

Kerr also mentioned he was pleased with the minutes he got from forwards Charles Bassey and Graham Ike, but for this team to have success, they will have to continue to play at a high level. 

Overall, this issue could play a major role for the Warriors moving forward, and it will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments the front office and coaching staff make. 

The Warriors are already without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, and were without Brandin Podziemski against the Lakers. With all the injuries, there is a lot of uncertainty with this group.