Kristaps Porzingis has been something of a mixed bag since he was acquired by the Dallas Mavericks during the 2019-2020 season.
When you look at his statistics, he seems pretty solid across the board. However, he has been painfully inconsistent at times and has suffered a rash of injuries that have slowed him down.
More than anything, he hasn’t meshed well enough with superstar Luka Doncic, causing some fans to request the Mavs trade him for a more appropriate player.
However, Porzingis has really taken it up a notch this season. Fans can finally see just how beneficial the Latvian big man can be.
Dallas Mavericks power forward Kristaps Porzingis is finally shining again
Since returning from yet another injury, Porzingis has averaged 23.2 points, nine rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a game, while shooting a bit over 47% from the field. Additionally, over the last four games, his three-point percentage has hit a career-high 42% and he has scored at least 20 points in each game. Overall, Porzingis has been playing with new intensity, dedication, and grit.
Many are crediting coach Jason Kidd for the successes of KP. Before, it seemed that former coach Rick Carlisle couldn’t figure out what to do with Porzingis, and the team suffered because of it. However, Kidd has seemingly cracked the code behind the tall, lanky power forward. Still, he gives Porzingis all the credit, telling this to the Dallas Morning News:
"“Physically and mentally, we’ve said that from training camp that KP was ready to go. Unfortunately he had to miss five games, but I think he picked up right where he left off.”"
The Mavericks are currently 9-5 and have been doing some impressive work. Although they lost their latest against the Phoenix Suns, they hung in there quite well, even though the team was without its heart and soul, Luka Doncic, who is recovering from an ankle injury. They’ll get their chance at revenge against the Suns tonight.
The team needed to do incredibly well this season if they hoped to retain Doncic for future seasons. Right now, they are definitely making a case for why he should stay. A large part of that is the impressive, explosive, and somewhat surprising output from Porzingis.