New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Isn’t The Next Dirk Nowitzki

Even though Kristaps Porzingis possesses a similar frame and long-distance stroke to that of Dirk Nowitzki, the two aren’t really all that identical.

When Kristaps Porzingis was selected by the New York Knicks with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, no one knew what to expect. Cynical Knicks fans booed him from the start, dreading that he would turn out to be another Andrea Bargnani for them.

Boy were they wrong.

Porzingis embraced the challenge, bursting on to the scene and earning the love of Knicks fans everywhere. At 7-foot-3, the Latvian power forward/center garnered praise for his confidence and tenacity.

He had a series of put-back slams at the beginning of the regular season that instantly put him on the map.

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Many were quick to call him the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki, seeing as both are 7-footers from foreign countries with beautiful jump shots.

In actuality, the comparisons stop right there.

Nowitzki has had a Hall of Fame career, amplified by the one championship he won with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, a Finals MVP trophy, and his 13 seasons of scoring better than 20 points per game. His also has arguably the most unguardable fade-away jumper of all-time.

While it is certainly in play that Porzingis might become a highly effective scorer from all areas of the floor like Dirk, there are definitely distinct differences when it comes to these two players.

There is no doubt that Nowitzki is an offensive powerhouse. Whether it’s in the post, back-to-the-basket, or shooting that wonderful jumper of his – he’s got it all. But he has never been known for his defense. Many have often criticized him for being passive on this end of the floor.

Porzingis has already proven to be a solid defender, as evidenced by his 1.9 blocks per game average and finishing in the Top 50 in Overall Defensive Rating in his first season. His massive 7-foot-6 wingspan adds to how truly special and unique he is.

He is already a more accomplished and versatile defender than Nowitzki ever was, all by the age of 20.

In addition to being better on defense, Porzingis is also a much better athlete than Nowitzki. Some of his dunks and finishes around the rim are downright insane.

He’s also a quick player who covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time, unlike Nowitzki who has always been more a plodding big man. Where Nowitzki concentrates on shooting the ball, Porzingis isn’t bashful about attacking the cup.

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It will be interesting to see how Porzingis does accepting more responsibility over time. For the time being, the Knicks are

’s team, and will continue to be as long as he is a member of their team.

After playing sparingly during his rookie season, the Mavericks became Nowitzki’s team during his sophomore season in 1999-00. This will most likely not be the case for Porzingis with the Knicks.

Porzingis is a much different talent than Nowitzki, although it’s great that Porzingis wants to be as good as him one day.

In fact, he definitely has the skills and potential to one day be better than Nowitzki. As long as the Knicks, or some other team down the road, allows him to be their alpha dog when he’s ready. Sure, he’s tall and can shoot it from downtown, which Nowitzki can do well too.

But Porzingis is already a lockdown defender. And he possesses quickness and the explosiveness that you can’t teach. You take these weapons and combine them with his mental fortitude and the drive he has to be great, and you have a potentially legendary player in the making.

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And that’s why he might end up being even more lethal than Nowitzki when it’s all said and done.