There is one person who will not talk about the early season success for Kristaps Porzingis. And, that one person is Kristaps Porzingis. The 20-year old remained even keeled while facing a chorus of boos on Draft night and now expresses humility when the buzz surrounding him is palpable.
With Porzingis focused on the team concept and his progression as a rookie, the greats of the sport are left to evaluate his first 17 days of NBA action. On Kobe Bryant’s most likely final appearance at the Garden on Sunday afternoon, it was Lakers and NBA legend, Magic Johnson tweeting, “Knicks fans should applaud Phil Jackson for getting the steal of the draft in Porzingis.” The Latvian did not shoot particularly well in New York’s win over Los Angeles but he managed to record a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two blocks.
An interesting secondary storyline to Bryant’s performance on the grand NBA stage was the exchange between the 5-time champion and the Knicks rising star. The straight out of high school superstar lauded Porzingis following the contest, “He’s skillful, can do a lot of things and seems very competitive. He has a good competitive spirit about him.”Bryant also spoke to Jackson during his short stop in Manhattan. “Talked a little bit about the game, a little bit about their pick, and I felt he looked very, very good. I think he has a very promising future,” Bryant complimented Porzingis.
Arguably the best and most versatile player in the game today is LeBron James. The two-time NBA champion is already impressed with Porzingis after just one look at the rook over a week ago in Cleveland.
“I think he’s a pretty good player,” James told reporters at Thursday’s practice. “I think he has a bright future if he continues to get better. The NBA lifestyle and the NBA life will automatically make him stronger. If you put in the work in the gym, he will get stronger and I think he knows how to play the game.”
The one star most Knicks fans would like to hear from is the former big man in the middle that nearly lifted the orange and blue to its first title since 1973. Porzingis is the first Knick to record 40 points and 30 boards through his first four outings since Ewing.
“He’s a force to be reckoned with,” Ewing smiled when speaking to reporters prior to the Knicks and Hornets battle in Charlotte on Wednesday night.
The two share a couple more spots in the Knicks record books. Porzingis is the first Knick to post at least three double-doubles in his first seven contests since Ewing and both players are the only New York rookies to register 80 points, 60 rebounds, and nine blocks in seven games since ’73-74.
“But I think he has a versatile game,” Ewing stated. “His game is suited to how the NBA is right now and he’s been doing a very good job. He’s not in there just shooting jump shots, he’s in there getting eight offensive rebounds the other day against the Spurs. So he’s not just a finesse big, I would say, he making his presence known.”
Just before New York stormed the North in a win over the Raptors and Porzingis nearly dunked all over the city, Toronto’s head coach and former Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey shared high praise for the Knicks No. 4 overall pick.
“He’s going to be a big time player,” Casey emphasized. “A lot of potential, a lot of range for a guy his size. All he has to do is keep on livin’. You know, just keep getting older. It reminds me a long time ago, I asked Detlef Schrempf about a guy named Dirk Nowitzki. He was a skinny kid from Germany and talked about he’s gonna be alright and now he’s a Hall of Fame player. I don’t know if Porzingis is going to be that way but potential to be a big time shooter, he’s fearless, his length helps him in the rebounding, so sky is the limit for the kid.”
Through nine games, Porzingis is averaging 16.9 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.5 steals per 36 minutes. The sample size is small and Porzingis will most likely ride the roller coaster rookie season before finding consistency in his second and third seasons. While he remains stable, focused, and humble, the rest of the NBA world is enjoying the jaw-dropping putback dunks and endless potential from the Knicks budding star.
