Kristaps Porzingis knows he’s now the number one option for the Knicks and the results so far have been great.(Image Credit: Business Insider)
Whenever Kristaps Porzingis touches the basketball now it’s become must-watch television.
A “very comfortable” Porzingis has been torching the league since the start of the season. The Knicks have been the benefactors of his emergence as their go-to guy.
For all the doubters who questioned if he was ready to take Carmelo Anthony’s spot as the face of the franchise, the 22-year old is methodically putting those questions to rest.
It’s true, the Knicks are fun to watch. Porzingis is the reason there’s a buzz again inside Madison Square Garden.
In recent years, even during the Melo era, any excitement inside the Garden was mostly reserved for whenever an opponent’s star player took the court.
Porzingis, one game at a time, is changing the narrative.
Look no further than Sunday night’s career-high 40-point performance which led the Knicks to a come-from-behind win over the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks were down by as much as 19 points late in the third quarter when Porzingis went off and outscored the Pacers 24-17 by himself. He scored 15 straight points during one stretch.
After the game, according to Ian Begley of ESPN, Porzingis said he’s “very comfortable” as the team’s number one option.
He’s certainly playing like it.
Porzingis has scored at least 30 points in seven of the Knicks’ first nine games. He’s tapped into the potential everyone saw in him as a matchup nightmare for opponents.
The one area where he has shown great improvement is his footwork. It’s not just in the post, but on the perimeter where he’s finding easier shots.
Porzingis has improved also on defense, he added six blocks to his stat line against the Pacers.
Footwork and balance are great, but the awareness has been fun to watch him develop. He knows the Knicks are now his team and his teammates are benefiting from it.
Porzingis, through nine games, is shooting 53 percent from the field. He’s averaging 30.2 points per game, good enough for second in the NBA.
The seven-footer is also getting to the free throw line. Porzingis is ninth in the league in free throw attempts, he’s shooting nearly 83 percent from the line.
The numbers are showing he has the talent to be option number one for the Knicks. But if anyone who’s ever followed professional sports in New York City can testify to, it takes more than just the skill set.
There’s going to be rough stretches along the way for the youngster, he’s hot now but he’ll cool off eventually. It happens. You have to have tough skin to thrive in this city.
For every 10 local media outlets praising his name, nine of them will call him out for any missteps along the way. That’s the nature of the business, especially in New York City.
From the end of Phil Jackson’s time as team president, to the eventual parting of ways between the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony. Porzingis hasn’t lost focus on the one area he has control over and that’s his game.
With Anthony now in Oklahoma City, Porzingis knew he was next in line to be the face of the team. Before Jackson was shown the door, he publicly expressed doubt about Porzingis being ready to take that role on, citing his youth as a reason.
But Porzingis hasn’t lost focus on the one area he has control over and that’s his game.
The Knicks have won five of their last six games. They look like a team with a legitimate future. There’s a healthy balance of youngsters and veterans on the roster. But most of all, they’re all on the same page with the bottom line, Porzingis is their go-to guy.
