New York Knicks F Bobby Portis Jr. has wasted no time endearing himself to the fanbase. Portis dished out high praise when asked about RJ Barrett.
Bobby Portis Jr. wants you to know that the New York Knicks will make some noise this upcoming season. Portis also thinks that the “sky is the limit” for top draft pick RJ Barrett.
In an interview with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Portis went on in great detail about the No. 3 overall choice out of Duke.
“He could be a really great player in this league. He scores the basketball well, defends well and rebounds at a high level. Julius [Randle] and I are 24, so we’re still young but we also have experience. We’re not “veterans” yet because we’re still pretty young, but we’ve been around for a little while now. I think we can help the young guys by being around them every day, helping them do the right things each and guiding them each and every day. We’re going to show them the ropes and things like that. With RJ, I think the sky is the limit for him. He really has unlimited potential.”
Portis, in addition to being known as a versatile forward who can stretch the floor, is also known as someone who won’t back down and will have his teammate’s back.
Knicks fans will fondly remember Enes Kanter coming to the defense of young Frank Ntilikina during his dust-up with LeBron James. The garden faithful may have loved Kanter’s huff-and-puff, and social media back-and-forth with the King, but let’s be clear, Portis is not the one to play with … just ask Nikola Mirotic.
Having Barrett’s back will be important because everyone will be coming at him, as is often the case with top draft picks. Everyone needs their own “welcome to the NBA” moment, but if an opposing player tries to punk Barrett, you can bet that players like Portis, Marcus Morris and Taj Gibson will have something to say about it.
Despite a somewhat disappointing free agency, the Knicks enter the 2019-2020 season with a lot of excitement and with players who all have something to prove.
Barrett’s ability to run the pick and roll is certainly going to have a positive effect for Portis, Morris and top free-agent acquisition Julius Randle. This season can’t come soon enough for all involved with the New York Knicks
