The Golden State Warriors are entering the second half of the season, hoping to return to full strength after an injury-riddled first half of the season. Now, as the team adds back superstar guard Stephen Curry to the lineup, one player invoked San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama when discussing one of the Warriors’ newest weapons.

“[Kristaps Porzingis]’s a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams,” Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton told The Athletic‘s Nick Friedell. “You see with the Spurs, you have Wemby, who’s 7-a lot, and the stuff he can do and the matchup nightmares he brings to the table.”

Melton isn’t wrong. Just one look at the Spurs shows how the team has built an identity around Wembanyama’s freakish size and unreal versatility through rim protection, outside shooting, and the ability to overwhelm smaller defenders. Melton sees a version of that coming to the Bay in Porzingis, who can take pressure off Curry.

The Warriors superstar guard has dealt with injuries, including a case of runner’s knee due to overexposure this season as a result of having to carry the team’s offense, a problem that has only compounded since Jimmy Butler went down with an ACL injury last month. Porzingis, if healthy, can take a lot of pressure off him.

“I think (Porzingis being) out there, it’s just going to give us a lot of size and a lot of mismatches that we need,” Melton continued. “Some teams he’s gonna kill just cause they can’t physically match up with him.”

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The Warriors made it clear when they traded for him that Rick Celebrini, the director of sports medicine for the Warriors, had looked over Porzingis already, and was confident that he would be able to play for the team. His chance to debut in a Golden State uniform will come against the Boston Celtics later this week.

Why Kristaps Porzingis’ Size Could Change Golden State’s Ceiling Around Stephen Curry

Kristaps Porzingis is recognized by many as the originator of the “unicorn” mold before the term became mainstream. At a towering 7’2″, he can space the floor, shoot over contests, and punish any switch harshly with his post game. Against smaller defenders, he can operate from the low block or the elbow, go to the perimeter against slower centers, or simply take isolation possessions.

In the Golden State offense, which relies on motion around Stephen Curry‘s perimeter gravity, an inside-scoring mismatch-hunter like Porzingis can be devastating for opposing defenses.

The Wembanyama comparison isn’t just about identical games, but the stress Porzingis can put on the defense. No traditional coverage can account for a 7-footer who can move fluidly while also being an above average shooter. If he can stay healthy and gel with the team’s system, the Warriors have a size advantage that they’ve never possessed during Curry’s tenure with the team.

In a Western Conference where the margin for error is razor thin, Kristaps Porzingis could be the difference maker for the Warriors beyond just making the play-in tournament.