Steve Kerr is walking back his own words. After publicly dismissing reports about Kristaps Porzingis’ medical condition, the Golden State Warriors coach has now expressed regret for speaking on an issue he later acknowledged was beyond his expertise. Kerr’s reversal comes as Porzingis continues to miss time with an undisclosed illness – the very situation that sparked the controversy and forced Kerr into an uncomfortable public correction.

Kristaps Porzingis will miss his fourth consecutive game for the Golden State Warriors on Saturday due to illness. So far, the Warriors have listed him as having a general “illness” and haven’t openly discussed the specifics. “I can’t really say anything. It’s a medical issue way beyond my capabilities to explain anything,” Steve Kerr said on Saturday before the matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. “He’s sick, he won’t play, and we’ll keep monitoring him.”

When a reporter asked Kerr about his “misinformation” comments, the Dubs’ coach backtracked. “It was a stupid mistake by me to talk about something I’m not qualified to talk about. So, I regret it, even trying to discuss the diagnosis, that was my mistake. I need to leave that to professionals.” Kerr said.

This comes after the Warriors’ coach’s viral interview on a local Bay Area radio station. During his interview, he claimed that Porzingis didn’t have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), as reports had claimed. He also added that he had first fact-checked the reports about Porzingis’ illness with the Hawks’ GM.

“When I heard about the trade, I read about his POTS diagnosis and then called Onsi Saleh, who was with us; he’s now Atlanta’s GM, and he’s a good friend of mine,” he said. “I called him, and I said, ‘Is this POTS story real?’ And he said it’s actually not POTS. It was not POTS. So that was some misinformation that was out there.”

There is a real fear that Porzingis won’t be playing in the near future. Kerr didn’t seem very hopeful for his big man’s availability for Monday’s matchup against the LA Clippers. “He won’t play today. He’s sick, so he’ll be out, and we’ll see about Monday. We’re not sure yet.”

So far, Porzingis has appeared in just one of the eight games for the Warriors. However, if Porzingis remains out for an extended period, the Warriors might have yet another failed season for aging Stephen Curry.

What does Kristaps Porzingis’ prolonged absence mean for the Warriors?

The Warriors gave up Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield in the Porzingis trade. As the newly acquired Warriors big man continues to miss games, the trade doesn’t seem in favor of the Dubs. When healthy, the Latvian big man can be a game-changer for any team. He can score from any point on the floor and is a great shot blocker with a height advantage. However, with him now missing yet another game of the season, there are doubts about his overall availability.

Porzingis has been dealing with the illness for over a year now. He has been able to manage it, but he has also missed more games than he has played. From November until he was traded to the Warriors in February, he had played only five games.

And now he is expected to miss some more games with just six weeks remaining in the season. Porzingis’ prolonged absence could have serious repercussions for the Warriors’ 2025-26 season.

The Warriors missed Curry for the 10th game when they hosted the Lakers on Saturday. In nine games without Curry, the Warriors have a 4-5 record. In one game Porzingis played against the Boston Celtics, the Warriors lost. Curry is expected to be re-evaluated and will possibly return against the Clippers. However, he will be playing alongside an average team, without a legitimate star to help him.

Steph can win the Warriors some games, but that would mean playing him for extended stretches and long minutes. It is not a sustainable approach for his health, amid his struggles with his knee.

With the two biggest stars on the team barely playing alongside each other, the Warriors’ season seems to be essentially over. They are 3.5 games ahead of the 11th-ranked Memphis Grizzlies. The Dubs can make the Play-In Tournament and make the playoffs, but their ceiling isn’t much higher.