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Will Kristaps Porzingis Be A Bust With The New York Knicks?

ByNathan Grubel|
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kristaps Porzingis (SPN) reacts after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kristaps Porzingis (SPN) reacts after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

There’s no such thing as “no pressure” in the city of New York.

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The New York Knicks were on the clock with the fourth overall pick Thursday night in the 2015 NBA Draft, and instead of taking one of the players that was projected as being more ready to play in the league right away, they went with a talented prospect who some view as too much of a project for Carmelo Anthony and company.

His name is Kristaps Porzingis, the mystery man from Latvia.

Porzingis is a 7’1″ forward who’s very skilled away from the basket. He can score in bunches shooting the basketball from distance, as his stroke is effortless. He has a nice high point on his release, which is great because considering how tall he is, his shot will rarely be blocked at the next level.

Not only can Porzingis shoot the basketball, but he can also put in on the floor and take his man off the dribble. He may not have as advanced of a handle as No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns, but he’s certainly more than capable of making something happen by facing his man up and getting to the basket.

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Speaking of his handle, he moves well both with and without the ball in transition, using his incredible athleticism for a big man to get up and down the floor and make plays on both ends, be it a high-flying dunk or a sneaky block from behind.

There’s certainly more to Porzingis than meets the eye, and I think we have yet to see a lot of just what he can do when he reaches his potential. If he continues to work on his fadeaway jumper, he could become a scoring option down low in the mold of a Dirk Nowitzki, someone who isn’t necessarily a banger but knows how to get his against other big men. I think that’s exactly the kind of player Porzingis is going to be.

Even if he adds weight to his rail-thin 220-pound frame, I don’t ever see him being the kind of player that’s going to constantly mix it up down low with other post players. Porzingis is crafty and skilled in his own right, and he will be able to get his as soon as he gets adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NBA game.

The question here, however, is whether or not he’s going to be a bust for the Knicks. I don’t believe one bit that will be the case.

Analysts like Stephen A. Smith and fans of the team were outraged with the Porzingis pick because they wanted a more “proven” player like Justise Winslow or Emmanuel Mudiay, but Porzingis has more upside than either of them.

Players who are seven feet tall that can move up and down the floor and shoot from range don’t grow on trees. These kinds of players are very hard to come by, and the Knicks had a chance to grab one in the draft. They made the right move, especially considering Porzingis said multiple times he wanted to play in New York and work hard to win in the Big Apple.

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    • With the pressure that was already on him coming into the league because of him being from foreign territory, wanting to add onto that stress by playing in New York says something to me about this kid. He wants to succeed at the highest level, and he’s not afraid of any obstacles in his path. That’s the kind of player that Anthony, Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson should want on their team.

    Porzingis has the talent to play in the triangle offense, so as long as he works hard he should prove to be a fit for the Knicks in due time. Don’t rule him out for next season in terms of contributing at a decent level though.

    He may be thin, but he knew how to light it up in international competition against men who were pros long before him. He’s not going to be pushed around in the same way that other rookies might be.

    Porzingis is a fighter and a winner, and with his skill set and potential, he’s exactly what the Knicks needed from their draft pick. Why play it safe when you can swing for the fences and get a talent that was projected by some as one of the top two in the draft?

    You stuck to your guns and picked the best player available. Way to go, Phil.

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