When the New York Knicks selected Kristapas Porzingis with the 4th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Knicks fans booed. ESPN's analyst, Stephen A. Smith went on national television and screamed as loud as he could that drafting Porzingis was a huge mistake. Hearing these two reactions reminded me of something that comedian George Carlin once said. (I am paraphrasing)“Think about how dumb the average fan is, now think about this; 50% of fans are dumber than that because they are just average". How can anyone criticize a draft pick or boo a player, that they have never seen?
My first thought after watching Prozingis in the NBA Summer League was, “This kid is a can’t miss.” He was frail, but skill set was off the charts. In just a small sample of games,this is what I've scouted:
- Much more aggressive than his body would indicate
- He will grow into his body.
- Very unselfish, smart player, high basketball IQ.
- He has unlimited range.
- He is reminiscent to that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s sky hook. Porzingis jump shot will never be blocked, just like the sky hook. At 7’3 his release point is over 9 feet so no one will be able to block his jump shot. If they do, save it on video. It will be a once in a lifetime occurrence.
- Moves well without the ball and crashes the boards on offense with ferociousness.
I thought that Porzingis would be a very good player, but in his rookie year, he exceeded all expectations. The 21- year old from Liepāja, Latvia averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. He was almost automatic from the free throw line, shooting 83%. All of these numbers will continue to go up and with each passing year, he will get better. He has already put on about 15lbs pounds of muscle this off-season and within 5 years I expect him to be a solid 295lbs or more.
Last week, Russell Westbrook posted a picture of him and Porzingis working out. Players seem to gravitate towards him and he is only 21. He has handled the bright lights and big city of New York with class and humility. He never got too high or too low and his mantra after every game was always, “I just want to keep learning and improving.”
The Knicks haven’t had a legitimate draft pick play with the team since Patrick Ewing. It is about time for the organization and players like Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose to take lesser roles and develop this protégé. Great organizations do this all the time. The Spurs, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker let Kawhi Leonard become the number 1 option for the betterment of the team. Kevin Durant called Porzingis The Unicorn because his prototype has never existed in the NBA before last year. Over the next 2-3 years, this will be Porzingis team and that is a great thing for Knicks fans.
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