By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
After a brief stint in Atlanta, Kristaps Porzingis seems to have found his home in California. The Latvian center, who has suffered several injuries in recent seasons, could be a key player for the Golden State Warriors.
Porzingis arrived in the Bay Area seven weeks ago in the trade that sent Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks. Since then, although he has missed several games due to illness, he seems to be finding the consistency he had lost since leaving Boston.
According to NBC Sports Bay Area, Porzingis is “thrilled” at the idea of playing alongside Stephen Curry, one of the greatest players in NBA history.
At 30 years old, the European giant is currently earning $30 million and will be a free agent this summer. With the Golden State Warriors monitoring his health and playing time, Steve Kerr’s team could re-sign him to be a key part of their future plans.
“I think it’s a conversation,” Porziņģis said to NBC after last Thursday’s practice. “I don’t know yet if I will get the chance, but maybe. Maybe. Doing pretty good and recovering well. I’m still not playing super-high minutes, obviously, but the better I feel, the better I start to look. I’ll probably earn more minutes and then probably after that, the next step is to get a chance on a back-to-back. That’s what I’m working towards“, he added.
He really loves the idea of playing next to Curry. “He has changed the game,” Porziņģis said of the legendary guard. “To be on the same team, just to be around him, even without playing, it’s pretty cool. To learn from him, hear how he sees the game, it’s something you don’t take for granted“, he explained.