The Golden State Warriors are preparing to welcome Stephen Curry back to the floor on Sunday night against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. The 38-year-old has missed the last 27 games. Golden State went 9-18 without him and slid to the tenth seed in the Western Conference.
The roster Curry returns to looks nothing like the one he left. Kristaps Porzingis arrived before the trade deadline in a deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks. Sunday will be the first time they share the court.
Curry was asked about what the partnership could look like. His answer made it clear how much he has been thinking about it.
Curry on The Fit With Porzingis
Curry did not hold back when describing what he sees in the pairing.
“I was telling him, ‘I don’t know how people are gonna guard our pick-and-roll,” Curry said. “Anytime you have a talent like that, and two guys that can demand attention, it’s always a good thing.”
The excitement was genuine. Curry spoke about Porzingis’s ability to stretch the floor as a shooting big, operate in the post, and force defenses into difficult choices. The geometry of the pick-and-roll between two players with that kind of gravity creates problems that most defenses simply cannot solve cleanly.
What Porzingis Has Done Without Curry
Porzingis has been productive since arriving in the Bay Area despite the team’s struggles around him.
He is averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 12 games as a Warrior. The offensive skill set has been evident from the start. His ability to score from all three levels gives Golden State a dimension they lacked before the trade.
Porzingis himself has spoken about the anticipation of playing alongside Curry. He said recently that he believes they will click and pointed to the defensive attention Curry draws as something that will simplify scoring opportunities for everyone on the floor.
The trade cost Golden State a former lottery pick in Kuminga. The organization made it clear at the time that they saw Porzingis as more than a rental. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. described the move as part of the team’s broader vision, not just a short-term play for this season.