Coming off his career best 29-points against the Hornets, we breakdown just why Kristaps Porzingis is a dream come true for the New York Knicks.
By Robby Sabo
The 20-year old Latvian didn’t need an entire season to arrive. He didn’t even need a full month. Through the first 12 games of what hopes to be a tremendous NBA career, he’s posted numbers far beyond anybody’s greatest expectations.
Averaging 12.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in just over 25 minutes, the entire basketball world is abuzz about how this kid’s already made it big. Sprinkle onto the fact he’s done it in the most pressurized city in the world, the Mecca, mysteriously interesting occurrences are happening in front of our very eyes.
Tuesday night’s 29-point performance was the cherry on top of an amazing start.
Like a thief in the night. He’s quiet, unassuming, and humble, yet confident. Slowly, yet quickly, Porzingis has become everybody’s favorite son in the Big Apple.
Whether it’s the deli on the corner, the guy dishing out dogs on the street, or the nearest doorman, they all can’t get enough of KP. He has suddenly filled that gaping void New York Knicks fans have been starving for: a young, talented, up-and-coming riser to go along with Carmelo Anthony.
There’s something much more fascinating about this kid than the normal prospect. Aside from the fact most are still trying to wrap their heads around that the Knicks, yes the freaking Knicks, actually might have gotten lucky for once, Kristaps Porzingis is about much more than sheer talent alone.
The extra, hidden attributes to a baller play into the overall package just as much, if not more than the skills.
If guys like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Larry Bird tried to just rely on their talents, they wouldn’t have been mentioned just now. It took dedication and hard work to see they officially climb that ladder of greatness.
The question remains: Does Kristaps Porzingis have what it takes? The jury is, of course, still out.
For now though, we reflect on what we’ve seen thus far and countdown the kid’s top five attributes as a basketball player:
5. Talent
Of course, his extreme abilities are the most obvious to point out.
The entire world knew he had talent. Simply being discussed as a Top 10 pick in the NBA is evidence enough. And even the harshest critics of the move made by Phil Jackson admitted just that.
Still, nobody expected this so early into a career of a projected 20-year old “project.” Stephen A. Smith didn’t expect it; Carmelo Anthony didn’t expect it; Phil Jackson probably didn’t even expect it. We sure as hell know the Knicks fans didn’t expect it.
Now we know how foolish we were. Even James Dolan and the Knicks organization deserves a break from time to time.
Standing well over 7′, he obviously has the wherewithal to finish near and around the basket. He can shoot it. He can also play an athletic style of game which lends itself to the NBA dominant world of the pick-and-roll.
It’s this extreme package of athletic abilities oozing out of such a big man that makes his talents so special. Once he navigates his way through experience and finds his spot on the floor to operate from, watch out.
4. Old-School Mentality
Perhaps the biggest surprise of Kristaps Porzingis comes when discussing his old-school attitude.
Over the course of the last three decades, the international player has been dubbed the fair (or unfair) tag as “soft.” They sure do know how to play a fundamentally sound brand of ball, when coming into the greatest league on Earth, but they’ve often been bullied down low.
At 220 lbs., nobody thought any differently of Porzingis.
The one key for the kid coming into the NBA was actually put weight on. He needed to. In order to bang down low with the monsters this league possesses on the low block, KP had no other choice.
While he did add a reported 11 lbs. during the summer, his play in this regard spoke for itself ever since he laced them up in the Summer League. Not only did he bang down low with the big guys, he held his own.
Sprinkle on an old-school mentality – ultra competitiveness and a sheer will to win – and the Knicks have one terrific cornerstone player to build around for years to come.
3. Basketball IQ
If the talent and old-school mentality wasn’t enough to take in, chew on this: Kristaps Porzingis’s greatest strength might be is overall basketball IQ.
For instance, how many put-back dunks has the kid thrown down in 12 games? Too many to claim normalcy.
This isn’t just an example of ability, it’s a showcasing of a great “sense of the game.” Having a knack for where the ball is coming off the rim is, perhaps, the top skill a big man must have to hit the boards with.
It’s easy to spot. The kid is a student of the game – one who’s extremely smart out there on the hardwood.
2. No Fear
No one play better describes Porzingis’s no-fear attitude than his buzzer-beater against the Hornets in Charlotte.
With the Knicks trailing by two, in a game they had no business choking up, Derek Fisher designed a play to go to New York’s closer, Carmelo Anthony. It wasn’t there, as Melo got caught up and the five-second mark was nearing.
Instead of fading into “designed-play oblivion” as so many youngsters would do, Porzingis stepped up and called for the ball. The mere fact that he stepped up was wild enough, but the fact he nailed the shot sent shockwaves of amazement across the basketball landscape.
Of course, we know the shot didn’t count, but that’s hardly the point. This kid wants the ball in the most pressurized situations. He not only wants to succeed, he wants to thrive on the grandest of stages.
1. He Simply “Gets It”
Just take a look at the video above. Totally unassuming in his character, Porzingis couldn’t help but take a “wow” moment for himself. As he answered questions following his breakout 29-point performance, he paused a bit to take in the love from the Madison Square Garden crowd.
This not only shows incredible self-awareness, it shows he’s still a young boy who’s appreciating the moment. This will happen a few times this season as he continues on his journey.
The good thing here, is that he has an attitude which lends to never being satisfied. Even after such an incredible performance, he claimed he could “do better.”
As told by Al Trautwig of MSG Networks after the game, he recounted a time in which Porzingis asked to take a picture with the kids he was hanging out with even after the allotted time was way past the point of acceptable (in many eyes).
Simply put: he gets it. He gets it in the way an NBA superstar needs to get it. He gets it all the way around. He’s a coach’s dream.