Gsw coach Steve Kerr apologizes after questioning Kristaps Porziņģis' POTS diagnosis
The gsw head coach Steve Kerr issued a public apology after suggesting Kristaps Porziņģis' postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome diagnosis might be misinformation. The correction comes as Porziņģis misses consecutive games with an illness and the Warriors keep his return under close medical monitoring.
Gsw coach Steve Kerr's retraction and language of apology
Kerr said calling the discussion a "stupid mistake" and acknowledged he had no qualification to dissect a medical diagnosis. He said he regretted trying to discuss the diagnosis and that he needed to "leave that to professionals. " When pressed for details about Porziņģis' condition, Kerr described it as "a medical issue way beyond my capabilities, " adding, "He's sick, he won't play, we'll keep monitoring. "
Kristaps Porziņģis' missed games and debut timeline
Porziņģis made his Warriors debut on Feb. 19 but has appeared in only one game since being acquired at the NBA trade deadline. He had an Achilles injury at the time of the trade that delayed that debut. Up to a Friday earlier in the week he had missed three straight games with an illness; by Saturday he had missed a fourth consecutive game when Golden State fell 129-101 to the Los Angeles Lakers. The big man has been a member of the team for more than three weeks.
Onsi Saleh exchange and Kerr's radio interview on 95. 7 The Game
On a radio appearance on 95. 7 The Game, Kerr described calling Onsi Saleh, now Atlanta's general manager, to ask whether the POTS story was "real. " Kerr said Saleh told him, "It's actually not POTS, " and Kerr characterized the situation as an instance of misinformation that had been circulating. He also explained the team viewed the recent absence as unrelated to the issues that had kept Porziņģis out while in Atlanta.
POTS and Porziņģis' description of symptoms
Porziņģis disclosed a POTS diagnosis that he had discussed in depth with The Athletic's Fred Katz in October. POTS is a non-life-threatening blood circulation disorder in which a number of symptoms can emerge when the subject stands up. Porziņģis described the condition in October as striking him "like a truck, " saying his breathing suffered and that "my engine wasn't running the way I wanted. "
Team response, practice notes and other injury updates
The Warriors kept Porziņģis out while saying the illness involved fluid loss and contagion risk; Kerr said the player had been "sick enough where he was losing a lot of fluid and contagious, so we just kept him home. " Porziņģis practiced on the Friday before the Lakers game, and Kerr indicated his availability for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers was a possibility. Since joining the team, Porziņģis has praised the Warriors' training staff and said he feels confident he can stay healthy, though when he might return remains unclear.
Health context and roster implications, plus a note on Stephen Curry
At 30 years old, Porziņģis has played just 60 games over the last two seasons because of health issues, a factor the organization weighed before making the trade. Kerr has said the team would not have made the move if it did not believe Porziņģis could remain healthy. What makes this notable is that the head coach's public questioning of a teammate's medical history forced an abrupt shift from personnel defense to public contrition, highlighting the fine line teams walk when discussing player health in public forums.
Kerr also acknowledged he has spoken with injured star Stephen Curry but said he does not know when the 37-year-old will be back on the floor; Curry has been dealing with runner's knee for the past unclear in the provided context.
