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Kristaps Porzingis delivered everything Mike Dunleavy and the Warriors could have hoped for when Golden State acquired him at the trade deadline. 

Porzingis hit trail 3-pointers, punished smaller mismatches in the mid-post, and swatted a pair of layup attempts at the rim in Wednesday’s game against the L.A. Clippers. He played with the type of force Warriors coaches have been waiting to see — the type of tenacity the do-or-die game required. 

He even flew in from the 3-point arc for a putback jam on a missed foul shot. 

“I’ve been doing that for 100 times, and it never worked,” Porzingis said. 

Porzingis, who won a title in Boston, was a major part of the Warriors’ championship DNA win over the Clippers. To keep their season alive, Steph Curry and Draymond Green rolled back the clock to when they ruled the league. Porzingis was more than just a bystander. 

Porzingis, the newest in a long line of supporting cast members, chipped in 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. His 28 minutes steadied the Warriors when the Clippers could have pulled away, especially in certain pockets of the first half. 

Was the game a foreshadowing of what’s to come for Porzingis in blue and gold? Could this type of experience — the atmosphere, the Curry heroics, the Steve Kerr sideline presence — sway the pending free agent’s summer decision? 

“Yeah, that’s actually a good, like, preview, no?” Porzingis said. “Of what could potentially [be]. Or maybe we win the next one and we actually have the real thing. Who knows?” 

For the Warriors to keep extending this season, Porzingis will need to continue to play like he did against the Clippers. And for them to extend their fading dynasty, they might need to find a way to bring Porzingis back next year. 

Golden State traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Porzingis at the deadline. He was available for such a package because of his history of lower-body injuries and other health concerns, including his POTS diagnosis. He’d played just 17 games for Atlanta and suited up for only 15 after joining the Warriors. 

In short doses, Porzingis showed glimpses of why the Warriors sought him. A 7-foot-2 center who can space the floor with 3-point volume, Porzingis is the archetypal player Golden State has tried to pair with Green for years. 

Still, Porzingis’ easy fit was more hypothetical than practical. He had a few good games with the Warriors, a few clunkers, and a few absences in between. He finished the regular season missing 14 of 15 tries from 3-point range and didn’t make the type of defensive impact the team hoped for.

Then he turned the theoretical into proof of concept. All it took was one glorious play-in game. 

By protecting the rim, Porzingis allowed Green to focus solely on slowing down Kawhi Leonard. By punishing mismatches in the post and on the glass, he took advantage of the Clippers’ smaller lineups.

“He’s a really talented dude,” Kerr said. “He’s got a great feel, great IQ. I know the last couple weeks he hasn’t shot it that well, but it’s only a matter of time, and obviously this game meant a lot, and he came up big.” 

The play-in victory is the type of win that could stick in the minds of the Warriors’ decision-makers over the summer. It proved that Curry and Green still have more great basketball left in them, and that the organization should surround them with as much talent as possible before they no longer do. 

Porzingis is a part of that. The price tag, though, is a mystery. 

Because of Porzingis’ injury concerns, his market is especially unpredictable. He has a unique skill set that appeals to practically every team, but will any team be able to count on him to get through a season? His next contract is so uncertain, we made an app to try to predict it. 

Even on Wednesday, the epitome of Porzingis’ upside, he gingerly walked around the locker room postgame with his right ankle heavily taped. Whether he has another productive game in him will be determined Friday in Phoenix. 

And perhaps beyond. 

“This is a good preview, and we’re going to give our all,” Porzingis said. “Steph, obviously, made a huge effort to come back and be with us now, and we have to appreciate that. We have to give everything we have, this group, and see how far we can get.”