I remember NBA Draft Day 2015 like it was yesterday. With all of the talent available, I was eager to see who the New York Knickerbockers would choose with their fourth pick. "And with the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select..."
The name that followed was Kristaps Porzingis. Not Emmanuel Mudiay. Not Justise Winslow. The unknown Latvian player Porzingis. Safe to say I reacted pretty similar to this kid.
The next thing that came was Twitter. Knicks fans and users that just love making fun of the Knicks slandered my team and I had no choice but to laugh and join in. I was dumbfounded that, once again, the Phil Jackson-run Knickerbockers found a way to disappoint their fan base.
Here we are almost eight months later and Porzingis has proved us all wrong. He has become a superstar for the organization and in the National Basketball League. As it stands right now, he is averaging 14.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds. He has also won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, December, and January. Karl-Anthony Towns, first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, has done the same for the Western Conference this season. In the 2016 Rising Stars Challenge, Porzingis scored 30 points for Team World.
The next question is, will Porzingis and the Knicks make the playoffs? The team's current ranking at 12th in the Eastern Conference and lack of a solid point guard says probably not, but there is still some time left for them to get on a much-needed hot streak. The recent addition of Jimmer Fredette could also be a factor. He has only been signed to a 10-day contract so far, and Coach Rambis has made it clear that Fredette will be benched until he can prove himself defensively.
Another big question mark is head coach Kurt Rambis. He took over in early February when Derek Fisher was fired by the Knicks organization and has only had two wins thus far. Phil Jackson has neither confirmed nor denied whether the organization is still actively looking for a coach before the season is over.
For now, Knicks fans can sit back and enjoy the talent that is Kristaps Porzingis. We can watch how well he and Carmelo Anthony mesh together as team leaders and how he grows with every game. The kid that once cried is now proud like the rest of us.
