Porzingis Out Indefinitely While Reaves, Kessler Stay Day-to-Day for Lakers-Warriors
The health update for tonight’s Lakers-Warriors preseason game is “not necessarily great news,” according to fadeawayworld.net.
Kristaps Porzingis’ status remains unknown after missing training camp. Anthony Slater reported on NBA Today that Porzingis’ “health absence and timetable remain indefinite as the Warriors open their second week of preseason.” His exact injury and return date have not been specified; only that his absence is indefinite.
All Warriors veterans are expected to play except Porzingis. That leaves the frontcourt short-handed for a team that just re-signed him to a two-year, $40 million deal this summer.
The Lakers’ situation is less severe but still uncertain. Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler have both been ruled day-to-day, per Slater, and will be game-time decisions tonight. Kessler jammed his finger on a backboard in practice recently, while Reaves tweaked an ankle. Slater noted Kessler was in the locker room without a wrap and hasn’t been ruled in or out for tonight.
PORZINGIS' INDEFINITE ABSENCE
Porzingis missing time is nothing new. He played just 23 games last season, and his long history of health problems is exactly why his latest absence carries so much weight.
The Warriors still committed to him this summer, re-signing the big man to a two-year, $40 million deal, according to fadeawayworld.net. Now, with training camp already behind them, he is suddenly unavailable, and the source states that threatens their frontcourt stability to start the season.
The specific nature of Porzingis' injury and any confirmed return timeline are not in the source. What is confirmed is only that his absence is indefinite.
There is some hope, per the source, that he can return within the first few weeks of action. But for a team that missed out on all the top free agents this past summer, the Warriors need their stars healthy, and Porzingis' status leaves a glaring hole in the middle to open the year.
LAKERS' DAY-TO-DAY DUO
The Lakers' injury news centers on two names, and both came out of practice, per Anthony Slater. Walker Kessler jammed his finger on a backboard recently, while Austin Reaves tweaked an ankle.
Slater saw Kessler in the locker room and noted he did not have a wrap on the finger. That detail suggests the injury is not severe, but it also has not cleared him for action.
Kessler was absent for the Kings game yesterday, according to the source. The Lakers have yet to rule him in or out for tonight's matchup against the Warriors.
Reaves is in the same boat. The team is calling him day-to-day after the ankle tweak, and Slater indicated the Lakers are treating both players with the same cautious approach.
Whether either actually suits up tonight is not confirmed. Both are officially game-time decisions, per Slater, and that status could carry through the preseason as the Lakers monitor their conditions.
What is clear is the Lakers are not rushing either player back. Kessler, as the team's main defensive anchor and the recipient of a $130 million commitment, is too important to risk. Reaves, coming off a career-high 23.3 points per game, carries his own weight in the rotation.
STAKES FOR LAKERS
The Lakers are not treating these as minor ailments, and there is a clear reason why. Kessler is the team’s main defensive anchor, the player they committed $130 million to this offseason, per the source. The organization’s cautious approach with his jammed finger reflects how essential he is to their overall success, according to fadeawayworld.net.
Reaves carries a different but equally significant burden. He averaged a career-high 23.3 points per game last season, though the source cuts off before detailing his full stats. That number alone explains why the Lakers would rather hold him out of a meaningless preseason contest than risk aggravating a tweaked ankle.
Both players are being monitored closely, and neither has been ruled in or out for tonight. The Lakers are facing several injuries, but per fadeawayworld.net, these issues are seemingly less serious than Porzingis' situation with the Warriors. That distinction matters for the short term, but it does not change the Lakers' calculus: they need Kessler protecting the rim and Reaves creating offense when the real games begin.
The team is choosing prudence over preseason reps, and that decision speaks to how much they are counting on both players. A jammed finger or a tweaked ankle can linger if rushed, and the Lakers have no interest in finding out the hard way.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Reaves and Kessler will be game-time decisions tonight against the Warriors, per Anthony Slater. That tag applies beyond this one contest, too — they will likely carry the day-to-day label throughout the preseason as the Lakers monitor both players, the source states.
Exact return dates for either Laker are not confirmed. Neither is Porzingis' timetable in Golden State, where his absence remains indefinite as the Warriors open their second week of preseason, per Slater.
There is hope, however, that Porzingis can return within the first few weeks of action, according to the source. That would steady a frontcourt that suddenly looks thin after the Warriors committed a two-year, $40 million deal to him this summer.
For tonight, expect the Lakers to test both Reaves and Kessler in warmups before deciding. For the rest of the preseason, expect more of the same — cautious judgment calls made in the hours before tipoff rather than days ahead.
The only concrete date on the calendar is opening night. Until then, every health update will be a fluid one.
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