New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Projects As A Top International Player
New York Knicks Kristaps Porzingis is projected to be one of the best international players in the NBA this upcoming season.
The New York Knicks look to have struck gold with Kristaps Porzingis. The Knicks selected the Latvian big man with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. People considered it a missed opporuntity at first. The Knicks had lost in the lottery, missing out on Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Jahlil Okafor.
Porzingis was booed heavily on draft night as well, as fans were disliked the selection. Those boos would quickly turn to cheers once people saw Porzingis get on the court.
He proved to be more NBA ready than people thought, as he became a nightly highlight reel for the Knicks. He provided rim protection defensively and an array of moves offensively. Despite being overmatched from a weight perspective nightly, Porzingis battled every night.
Porzinigs would average 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game his rookie year. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Towns, bringing optimism to the organization and fanbase.
The sky is the limit for Porzingis, as he is oozing with talent and potential. The Knicks are hoping he takes another step in his development this season as he looks to be one of the best young talents in the game.
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There are many people that believe Porzingis could develop into a monster on the court. At 7-feet-3 inches tall, he can dominate on both ends of the court; his sheer size imposing defensively and his touch something you don’t see from someone that tall.
One of the projections that is a big fan of Porzingis Kevin Pelton’s SCHOENE projection system. His system projects player’s WARP (Wins Above Replacement) ranking is very favorable for Porzingis for the 2016-17 season.
With the Olympics in full swing, we have seen a number of impressive performances from international players; some in the NBA some not. So, Pelton used his projections to see which international players should shine in the upcoming season. Porzingis is expected to be one of the best international players in the NBA based on the projections.
Porzingis comes in third in his projection, trailing only Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. We have seen both players during the Olympics the past two weeks and it is evident why they rank highly on the list as well.
While Porzingis decided against participating in international play this summer, he still projects as one of the best international players for the 2016-17 season. Here is what Pelton had to say about the Knicks phenom.
"SCHOENE and RPM agree on where Porzingis is slotted here. The sky is the limit for him.For this season, the only subjective concern is whether Porzingis will struggle for touches in a Knicks lineup shared with Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony. But he may be so good that, actually, the other guys will need to hunt for shot opportunities."
The Knicks changed course this season, adding veterans around Porzingis and Anthony and accelerating the rebuild. People criticized the move, believing it could stunt Porzingis’ development.
While there may be fewer shots for Porzingis this season, videos of him working out this offseason show that he is improving. He has increased bulk and is working on weaknesses in his game.
Adding veterans should only help him, as he can continue developing at his own pace. Anthony and the veterans can shoulder the load with Porzingis in a supporting role while he continues improving and working on his game.
Next: 6 Games To Circle On New York Knicks' 2016-17 Schedule
Porzingis is the future of the Knicks, there is no doubt about that. Seeing Porzingis at the top of these rankings would surprise no one as he has a chance to become one of the best players in the league.