Kristaps Porzingis getting more comfortable with Knicks
Boos echoed through Brooklyn's Barclays Center in June as the New York Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
The struggling franchise wagered their future on a skinny Latvian kid that nobody knew much about. NCAA standouts such as Willie Cauley-Stein and Stanley Johnson were still on the board, but the Knicks decided to go with “the Zinger.”
Early in preseason, Porzingis is showing glimpses as to why those booing Knicks fans could transform into Zinger zealots.
Although he was admittedly anxious during his first game in Madison Square Garden, he seems ready to make the adjustment to the NBA now that his debut is behind him.
“I was more relaxed,” Porzingis said after a recent game. “I went out there and let the game come to me, not the other way around. I felt more comfortable on the court."
Whether he's high fiving every teammate within reach during pre-game shootarounds or playing FIFA 16 against teammate Sasha Vujacic, Porzingis has quickly found comfort as a member of the Knicks.
He also brings a skill set that could potentially have an immediate impact on team success.
On offense, he's clearly most comfortable playing on the perimeter. His length combined with his proficiency behind the three point line makes him a dual threat to the opposition.
On defense, he doesn't plan on only using his length to block shots.
He stresses the importance of also using his long arms to make the court look crowded, closing up the lane to decrease opportunities to attack the rim. "I think that helps the team," Porzingis said. "It makes the court look smaller, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Just help the team however I can."
For a 20-year-old who has already received comparisons to future hall of famers Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol — playing alongside a superstar in Carmelo Anthony for a team with one of the most considerable markets in the league — his road to success is a challenging one, one that will be filled with nerves and high expectations.
However, it’s a road that he seems well prepared for.
“He’s a very confident person,” Anthony said. “It’s one thing he doesn’t lack, and I don’t think he’s going to be lacking it any time soon.”
At 7-3, with a wingspan that could reach the top of the Empire State Building, he will be faced with plenty of opportunities to continue to grow as an NBA player and use his confidence to get the upper hand.
“For Kris, it’s about not being afraid of taking advantage of every opportunity he gets to go make a play,” Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “He has all the skills necessary to shoot the shot from the perimeter, to post up, but what we like about him the most is that he pursues the basketball. He challenges shots at the rim.”
“Shots will be there for him. He’ll get more attempts as we get better as a team.”
