On the cusp of true dominant superstardom, New York Knicks prized youngster Kristaps Porzingis is, already, almost there.
Zinger, PorzingGod, Godzingis, The Unicorn, or simply KP — whatever the sound uttered from those lips of yours, just know this: it simply doesn’t matter.Perhaps it’s a tremendous sign there is no one nickname for the kid. Is there another special talent so unique that it can’t claim just one solitary nickname?
This is Kristaps Porzingis. These are the 2016-17 New York Knicks.
Suddenly, everything isn’t all doom and gloom.
KP (yes, “KP” is my choice) exploded for 31 points in Tuesday night’s 107-103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mecca (another great nickname) was in a frenzied state from start to finish merely thinking about what we’re possibly going to see from this talent over the next decade-plus.
He’s already good now, averaging a cool 21 points a game on a solid .502 field goal percentage clip. Stats aside, just knowing a 7-foot-3 guy is taking defenders off the dribble and drilling threes from everywhere on the court deserves incredible attention.
While the “now” looks enticing — a 7-7 record with nice pieces up and down the lineup — the future can hardly be contained.
What will it take for KP to reach that true superstar status in the Association? What needs to happen for the young Latvian to be called a top five NBA talent?
We begin with a little freedom:
Continued Freedom
Jeff Hornacek, Derrick Rose, and Brandon Jennings all already do a terrific job in this area. Hornacek already understands how good Porzingis is. D-Rose and B-Jennings are both extremely smart show-runners who get the simple notion that the offense must run through KP more times than not.
This comes as a stark contrast to what we saw a season ago.
RELATED: KP and Melo must be kept separated
Admittedly, as a rookie, KP had his issues at times. While the heart and mind were willing and able, his body wasn’t yet completely matured. Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis needed to adjust accordingly.
At times, Porzingis wouldn’t even see 24 minutes of action on a given night. At times, he wouldn’t close the game during crunch time. Fast-forward to the now and those thoughts seem like a distant bad memory.
There is no more Fisher playing it same. There is no more Jose Calderon doing his best NBA point guard impersonation.
There is only talent and skill.
Keep ‘Em Separated
What do you do when you have two primary scorers in the same starting lineup?
You keep ’em separated.
Pertaining to Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, Jeff Hornacek has done a brilliant job.
This isn’t to suggest the two of them can’t play together. They surely can and they surely need to. When it comes down to crunch time — as so many NBA games do — Melo and KP, along with the rest of the starting lineup need to make sure things are clicking.
We now know, however, that once the midway point of the first quarter hits, one of the two scoring studs will be leaving the game shortly.
Hornacek will need to continue this trend to allow both guys to act as the focal point of the offense for long stretches of the game. It doesn’t just allow KP to grow as a scorer, it forces it to go down that way.
That One Signature Move
Back in the day, there was a nice little Sega Genesis game titled Bulls vs. Lakers and the NBA Playoffs. It was, without a doubt, way before its time. It was EA Sports’ version of simulation NBA basketball.
In it, each superstar had his own signature move. Michael Jordan‘s was the reverse layup as he’d fly from one side of the rim along the baseline to the other side flawlessly while breaking the heart of the opponent.
In terms of development of a Kristaps Porzingis, what we are currently witnessing is a bevy of offensive moves. His arsenal is endless. Forget endless, what he does on the court at 7-foot-3 is downright silly.
First off, the man can take a slower defender off the dribble pretty much any time he’d like and throw it down with ferocity:
We know his range is limitless, but did you also know he can make mid-range off-balanced shots that’d have any star two-guard blush?
Come on now. That’s absurd.
Whether it’s facing up or the post-game, KP will eventually need to find that one comfortable move, that one comfortable spot on the court that he can call his own and make it his signature.
Obviously, he’s more than a simple signature move. But Porzingis finding that comfortability level while working everything else off his eventual bread-and-butter setup will be critical for his superstar progress.
The Official Passing of the Torch
Professional basketball, especially the NBA is unlike any other entity. Personalities drive the content of the league, not teams. This equates to offseason and off-court headlines ruling the roost at times.
It also leads to superstars “owning” their team.
There’s a reason why Patrick Ewing is so identified with the New York Knicks of the 1990s. He was the lone hall of fame talent of the rough and ferocious group New Yorkers immediately fell in love with.
There’s a reason the NBA markets games as “LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers” rather than simply “the Cleveland Cavaliers.”
The important thing to know, however, is that the process of becoming that guy is anything but simple.
Understanding and realizing who the kingpin is for each organization is a critical notion. As it relates to the Knickerbockers right now, Carmelo Anthony is that guy. There are no doubts or interesting “ifs” about that fact.
At the same time, it’s critical to know Kristaps Porzingis is rapidly moving up the food chain. Fans know it. Other NBA players and teams know it. Even Melo knows it.
Right now, it’s perfect the way it is. There is no rush to crown young Porzingis the top dog of the squad. At 32-years of age, Melo will continue to be that guy for the foreseeable future. Moreover, Porzingis loves the guy to death and understands just how important he truly is to his success.
Eventually, though, for Kristaps Porzingis to become that true superstar and top five talent he’s destined to be, Melo will officially have to pass the torch.
It won’t happen anytime soon and nor should it, but this action will be the final link in the chain for KP to rightfully assume the crown as a true stud of the NBA and boss of city ball.