Kristaps Porziņģis unexpectedly stepped back from basketball due to health issues, and Draymond Green is making it crystal clear: the Golden State Warriors are not about to linger on his exit. Talking to The Athletic’s Sam Amick on Friday, Green dropped some serious truth bombs about the team’s mindset, basically saying they’ve already moved on from their 31-year-old Latvian center.
No Time for Lingering
Green wasn’t pulling any punches when he said the Warriors don’t have a “culture of blame and bickering.” Instead, they’re just pushing forward. “No one’s sitting around bashing this guy or even worried about him, for that matter,” Green told The Athletic. “In our minds, we’ve moved forward with the players that we have here… Everybody’s moved on in their mindset.” He made it sound like this isn’t some new development, either. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy reportedly clued the team in on the Porziņģis situation even before their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, just last week, the message was reinforced: the team is “moving forward.” Green’s blunt summary? “You can’t sit and worry about spoiled milk.” Talk about a mic drop.
The Porziņģis Reality Check
Here’s the deal: Porziņģis joined the Warriors back in February via trade, and he inked a two-year, $40 million contract this summer to come back. But the dude hasn’t played a single game for Golden State this season, all because of this unspecified health issue. The kicker? He’s reportedly not even getting paid that hefty salary while he’s out. Neither Porziņģis nor the Warriors have officially spilled the beans on what’s going on, but he’s got a history with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which is a chronic condition affecting the nervous system. So, while the specifics are under wraps, it’s clear this isn’t a minor bump in the road.
Next Man Up
So, what does “moving on” actually look like on the court? Green emphasized the classic “next man up” mentality. They’re looking at guys like journeyman center Charles Bassey and undrafted rookie Graham Ike as players who have something to prove. Green said the team is going to “embrace those guys, and you pour into those guys, to try to help them with all that they can be helped with so that they could ultimately help this team.” Right now, without Porziņģis, the Warriors are leaning on Al Horford as a key backup center behind Green, with Bassey and Ike rounding out the depth. It’s a tough blow for Golden State, losing a player they just signed for big money, but Green’s message is loud and clear: they aren’t dwelling on it, they’re just getting on with their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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