The big man from Latvia, Kristaps Porzingis, showed the entire world today why New York Knicks boss Phil Jackson took him in the NBA Draft.
By Robby Sabo
OK Phil Jackson, your point has officially been made.
Although the majority of the basketball universe dumped on the selection of Kristaps Porzingis in the No. 4 spot of the 2015 NBA Draft, many now see what Jackson saw.
What Jackson saw was immense potential and a rare quickness attribute for a man who stands 7’3”.
Porzingis poured in 12-points in just 18-minutes of his first taste of NBA hoops. His New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs by the final of 78-73.
It wasn’t enough that this poor 19-year old Latvian kid had to endure the boos raining down upon him a few weeks back, but media heads and fans alike were dumping on his worthiness from the get-go – even before seeing him play one ounce of ball for New York.
Stephen A. Smith was one of these guys.
His narrative revolved around the words “Joke,” “Phil Jackson” and the “New York Knicks” all in the same sentence after Porzingis was drafted. He reported that Carmelo Anthony was upset with the decision and felt “hoodwinked.”
Those thoughts would work if Porzingis couldn’t play a lick during the 2015-16 season, but that already seems to be the furthest thing from the truth.
It’s amazing how one glimpse of a guy’s skill-set can change a desperately negative feel into supreme optimism.
Suddenly, it seems the few people that backed the smart moves Phil made the last month or so have a little more to back their argument up with.
Here’s a quick breakdown on what we saw today from the Knicks rookie:
