Golden State Warriors fans will likely get a closer look at their new big man, Kristaps Porzingis, when the team opens a two-game homestand Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls in San Francisco.

Porzingis was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 5 in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. Since the trade, he has played in just two of Golden State's 12 games while managing lingering Achilles issues and a recent illness.

He made his Warriors debut at home on Feb. 19 against one of his former teams, the Boston Celtics, scoring 12 points and grabbing one rebound in 17 minutes in Golden State's 121-110 loss. Porzingis then missed several games due to illness but returned Saturday in Oklahoma City, where he played 23 minutes and contributed nine points, five rebounds, and five assists in a 104-97 defeat.

Although the Warriors had Sunday off, Porzingis and veteran teammate Al Horford were held out of the final game of a three-game trip at Utah, part of a back-to-back set. Golden State lost 119-116 to the Jazz.

Porzingis is expected to play against the Bulls and hopes to continue improving his numbers.

"I still feel a little heavy, and my shots are not in rhythm yet, but it will get better with each game," Porzingis, 30, said. "I believe I will be healthy now. I really feel this is it. I’ve been in and out before, but this time it’s different."

Meanwhile, another veteran, Seth Curry, returned from a 40-game absence due to sciatic pain, scoring 13 points in 12 minutes, including two 3-pointers. With the team adding reinforcements, he is expected to sit out the second night of the back-to-back.

The Bulls, meanwhile, continue a five-game Western swing that started with a 105-103 win over the Phoenix Suns and a 126-110 loss Sunday to Sacramento, the NBA’s worst team. Collin Sexton has led the offense, scoring 30 points against Phoenix and 28 against Sacramento. Josh Giddey recorded his second triple-double in three games against Sacramento, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Giddey also led Chicago with 18 points during a 123-91 loss when the Warriors visited Chicago on Dec. 7.

Despite being one of the league’s highest-scoring teams through January, the Bulls have struggled to integrate trade-deadline acquisitions and have lost 13 of their last 15 games, scoring 120 points or more only twice.

Coach Billy Donovan believes the team can improve as players adjust. "The biggest issue was that many of these guys were coming from situations where they weren’t playing at all," Donovan said. "Guerschon Yabusele wasn’t playing, Nick Richards wasn’t playing, Rob Dillingham wasn’t playing. The pace has been different."

Golden State will look to capitalize on the Bulls’ struggles while giving Porzingis more minutes to settle in during the homestand.

— Field Level Media/Reuters