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Porziņģis still away from Warriors, Pacific Division roundup
No games in the Pacific Division, but the Warriors are still without Kristaps Porziņģis while the Lakers lean heavily on new center Walker Kessler.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
There were no games on the schedule for the Pacific Division, but roster news still shaped the day, headlined by the ongoing absence of Kristaps Porziņģis from the Golden State Warriors and the defensive gamble the Los Angeles Lakers are taking on Walker Kessler.
Golden State Warriors: Porziņģis still sidelined
Hoops Rumors reports that Kristaps Porziņģis has been away from the Warriors for the past two weeks with an undisclosed health issue. Citing Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, the outlet adds that the Latvian big man is expected to be at Chase Center on Tuesday while the team is in Las Vegas to face the Lakers in another preseason contest.
CBS Sports notes that Golden State brought Porziņģis back on a two-year, $40 million contract this summer, but he has yet to be available during the preseason. With the Warriors sitting at 2-2 in the Pacific Division, they’re still waiting to see their new center in game action.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kessler at the heart of defensive plan
For the 2-1 Lakers, defense remains the main storyline. As relayed by Hoops Rumors from The Athletic’s Law Murray, the team is counting on Walker Kessler to transform that end of the floor. According to the report, L.A. sent a significant package of future first-round picks to the Utah Jazz to acquire the 7-foot-2 center, underscoring how central he is to their plans.
The mandate for Kessler is straightforward: shore up rim protection and stabilize the back line of the defense, areas that have been trouble spots for the Lakers in recent seasons.
LA Clippers: Kawamura waived
For the LA Clippers (1-1), it was roster management making news. Hoops Rumors reports that Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura has been waived, a move the team announced Monday night. The decision opens a spot on the preseason roster and reduces the Clippers’ count to 20 players.
Kawamura, 25, had spent most of the past two seasons on two-way contracts, according to Hoops Rumors, and now becomes a free agent as the Clippers continue to tweak their group ahead of the regular season.
The Phoenix Suns (1-2) and Sacramento Kings (0-3) were quiet on Monday, but the standings underline how tight the room for error already is for Sacramento, still searching for its first preseason win in a competitive Pacific field.