Wade said that’s about to change.
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“He is for real”, Nowitzki said. “Most from what I see on film is guys just not paying attention to him”. He can play basketball. I don’t know why. He’s really good at the elbow area.
All of those questions that have followed Porzingis since the Knicks drafted him fourth overall can be answered with a resounding yes thus far.
“There’s certain things that you’ve got to continue doing”.
What makes Porzingis such a valuable asset is the fact that he can impact games without having to shoot well, an important development for a player who was touted most for his outside shooting ability. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis missed 11 of 18 shots, but still had 20 points and 14 rebounds. He’s norming 13.2 points and 8.8 rebounds – third and second best, respectively, among rookies – through 14 outings, and it’s fair to contend that the numbers will surge given his appreciable improvement over the last five. The Heat are anchored on the back line by center Hassan Whiteside, who did Porzingis one better with eight blocks in Saturday’s triumph.
One prominent Knicks fan – perhaps the most prominent of all – seems to have staked his claim on the Kristaps bandwagon, and he’s not afraid to say so. “But also remember, Pau was the Rookie of the Year”. And performances like that have Carmelo Anthony planning to “hoist one or two [championship trophies] before [I retire]”. There were doubts and comparisons circling around the first round pick of Phil Jackson as Knicks president. He got the “honor” of being interviewed first postgame, giving humble team-first quotes that MSG practically bathed in.
And boy does he ever get right in there. So maybe he’s an afterthought, but he won’t be for long. But he won’t be for long. No doubt about it. He’s really making waves around the league. It’s not just ESPN highlights.
It takes time and patience and no small amount of luck, is what I’m saying.
The first was that Porzingis nearly always stayed late after practice to develop his skills with Nikola Radicevic, a teammate.
In any case, Porzingis is determined to do all he can to help the Knicks make the playoffs, not to mention hopefully go deep.
“He’s taking over”, Spike said. “He’ll be a little more open. But by that time we were already in the hole”.
Still, you deserve to bask in Porzingis’ progress.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he attended Porzingis’ pre-draft workout in Las Vegas in June, but couldn’t tell much because there was no contact.
“These past two seasons I was playing in Spain, I used to have ups and downs”, he said.
You start, instead, with sketches on paper-quick drafts to find the right staging and positioning, the interplay of positive and negative space, gesture and expression. He is tough. He’s got touch. She also acted as a den mother for numerous younger players.
Miami forward Amar’e Stoudemire was sick and didn’t attend the morning shootaround.
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James Harden had 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Rockets lost for the sixth time in their last seven games. However, Silver called the unusual name of Kristaps Porzingis, a 7’3 big man from Latvia.
