New York Knicks: What Carmelo Anthony Can Teach Kristaps Porzingis

As the New York Knicks prepare for the 2015-16 NBA season, Carmelo Anthony must share his knowledge with Kristaps Porzingis

The New York Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis No. 4 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, much to the immediate chagrin of the fans. Carmelo Anthony knows a thing or two about handling immense expectations, and that’s just one of the lessons he should be teaching the rookie.

Since the draft, the 7-foot-3 Latvian has flashed a solid shooting touch (37.5 percent from three) and a willingness to pass, easing the minds of some who looked at him as a five-year project. He appeared in four games this preseason, averaging 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one block in 19.4 minutes per game.

Now that the regular season is here (and he’s starting against the Milwaukee Bucks), Carmelo will keep him close and teach him the proverbial ropes both on and off the court.

HANDLING EXPECTATIONS

Without question, the most difficult part of adjusting to the NBA life is handling expectations. The New York market intensifies that scrutiny, and being a starter on opening night means Porzingis will be in the spotlight from the very beginning.

Fortunately, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker are out, meaning Porzingis will get to face some lesser competition in his first start.

Coach Derek Fisher didn’t exactly echo Anthony’s kudos for Porzingis and actually gave him a backhanded compliment, when the intent was likely to temper expectations:

"“We obviously drafted him No. 4. Why should we hold him on the shelf? It doesn’t mean he’s going to start all season, but we feel like we’ve seen enough that he deserves the opportunity to show what he can do.”"

Not helpful, Derek. Part of handling expectations involves acknowledging them and being accountable for them. Instead, Fisher made it seem like they’re starting Porzingis because they have to (but then makes sure to not totally commit) and then tries to throw Kristaps a bone by saying he’s “done enough.”

Fair or not, that’s the NBA. Melo knows how that works, as no matter how well he’s played throughout his career, he’s always compared to the greatest player of our generation (LeBron James), one of top shooting guards ever (Dwyane Wade) and a forward (Chris Bosh) who could end up a Hall-of-Famer.

STAYING TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE

Along with expectations come public sentiment about what “should” be happening. We’ve heard the lazy argument that Melo is a ball-stopper for years, despite the fact that his supporting cast has been so poor, that him taking a contested look was often the best shot the team was going to get. Melo is a scorer, as his 20,924 points will attest.

For Porzingis, he’s bound to have the peanut gallery tell him what he should and shouldn’t be. At 7-foot-3, don’t be surprised to see people blast him for a lack of protection at the rim. In his last season in Europe, he averaged one block per game, in 21.4 minutes. He’s not Mark Eaton, nor will he ever be.

Porzingis isn’t a scorer on the same plane as Melo by any means, but he is a shooter who is used to getting a lot of opportunities.  In 50 games with Baloncesto Sevilla, he averaged more shots per game (8.3) than any player who played more than 20 games. With his length, he should be able to get his shot off against anyone (counterpoint Andrea Bargnani) and his shooting line of .496/.359/.752 last year shows that he can be a success.

Just as Melo isn’t built to defer, Porzingis shouldn’t be forced to do so either (though his assist rate in the preseason sets off red flags).

With very few exceptions, a rookie season is more about building a strong foundation to be built upon for years to come. Porzingis isn’t being brought in to be a star and he can’t concern himself with the Knicks win/loss record. The stench of losing takes a while to really set in.

Instead, Porzingis has to soak it all in and take the bumps that will inevitably come along the way. He does have a wealth of information at his fingertips and will greatly benefit from being around guys who have won championships. Don’t forget that he’s been playing in Europe for the last three years, so he’s not the “typical” wide-eyed rookie.

This season might not net Porzingis the Rookie of the Year or even a playoff berth, but that’s ok — an NBA career is more of a marathon, not a sprint.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Opening Week

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