Warriors’ massive deal error is once again painfully evident in
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For Golden State Warriors supporters watching on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, there should have been some disappointment as Kristaps PorziņĢis proceeded to make his spectacular comeback for the Boston Celtics.
After missing Game 4 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat, PorziņĖis showed off his tremendous skills in just over 20 minutes off the bench, scoring 20 points (8-of-13 shooting), pulling down six rebounds, and dishing out three blocks as the Celtics won handily 107-89 at TD Garden.
The Golden State Warriors should deeply regret their choice to acquire Chris Paul rather than Kristaps Porzingis in their deal.
PorziņĖis was acquired by Boston almost at the same time as Golden State dealt for Chris Paul during the previous off-season. It was a moment of sliding doors, and each franchise’s subsequent success has been radically different.
That is not to suggest that the deal of Paul for Jordan Poole was a horrible one, but it is plausible that PorziņĿis would have been a more effective and practical fit. The big man from Latvia did have a player option until the previous offseason, so a transfer to the Warriors would have required him to be more receptive than in a typical trade situation.
This is by no means the first time that Porziņģis’ performance in Game 1 has been scheduled. A week prior to his trade to the Celtics, the 28-year-old was mentioned as a player the Warriors should keep an eye on, and ever since, their lost chance has repeatedly surfaced.
By the end of December, just over two months into the season, Golden State’s choice to trade for a six-foot, then 38-year-old point guard in Paul instead of a big man like PorziņĿis had drawn criticism. According to a January report by Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, there has been conversation within the Warriors organization about “maybe just going get a seven-footer who can score.” Porzingis would have been ideal, but he was too far gone and content with his Celtics lifestyle.
The news of Porziņģis return served as a reminder of his extensive history of injuries. Despite this, he is an incredibly gifted player, and the Warriors ought to have done more to take a chance on him. After almost a year, they are still looking for a man to give more shooting and scoring in the front court, even though 7’3″ PorziŇģis is consistently making jump shots in the NBA Finals.
