New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Can Redeem Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson doesn’t have the greatest reputation as an NBA executive, but drafting Kristaps Porzingis might be his redemption with the New York Knicks.

Boos rang around Barclays Center as Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks drafted 19-year old Kristaps Porzingis in 2015. A 19-year-old that ticked every box of the stereotypical European big man.

Tall, lanky, a decent jump shot for a guy 7’3″ and most notably, he was an unknown.

In typical draft-night fashion, many of the locals saw a name on the board they didn’t recognize and labeled it a bust the second the name was called.

It happens almost every year.

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It may be the hot take nature of sports today or the deafening ignorance that only grows louder as more flock to social media. But as the boos swirled around the Barclays Center and calls of “bust” began to trend on social media, Jackson sat with a smile.

He knew what he had done and knew this Latvian prodigy would be his redemption.

Since becoming president of basketball operations in 2014, there have been constant questions surrounding his ability as an executive.

His hiring of good friend and rookie coach Derek Fisher was a nightmare.

The five-year, $124 million contract given to Carmelo Anthony still has three more years of scrutiny and question marks surrounding it.

But one thing that is met with unwavering praise and confidence is Porzingis. Despite not being the case on draft night, he is now considered the future of the franchise.

He may also be the piece that resurrects Jackson’s executive reputation and further solidifies his place as one of the greatest minds in NBA history.

After a rookie season that had the doubters in the stands crawling back into their caves of inaccurate hot takes, Porzingis is now being discussed as the new leader and face of the Knicks.

Those he matches up against on the court have always been wary of him though, with the likes Kevin Durant telling ESPN’s Royce Young he’s a big fan of the big man:

"“He can shoot, he can make the right plays, he can defend, he’s a 7-footer that can shoot all the way out to the 3-point line, that’s rare. And block shots — that’s like a unicorn in this league.”"

Jackson saw the unicorn in Porzingis and is calling is now calling on all of his greatest powers to redeem his time in the front office.