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New York Knicks Can Use Kristaps Porzingis To Lure Free Agents
Rival executives believe the New York Knicks will be able to lure free agents to their team thanks to Kristaps Porzingis.
When the New York Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, it was met with plenty of negativity.
He was booed heavily on draft night as many fans wanted the Knicks to select Duke forward Justise Winslow, point guard Emmanuel Mudiay or Frank Kaminsky out of Wisconsin.
Seeing an international player selected by their team made plenty of fans break out into a cold sweat. All Knicks fans remember Frederic Weis being selected 15th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft over hometown product Ron Artest.
Weis never made it to the NBA but everyone remembers his name because Vince Carter jumped over him while dunking in the 2000 Olympics.
Add in recent seasons with Andrea Bargnani, who cost the Knicks multiple picks, and fans were skeptical of adding an unknown international player to the mix.
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Little did they know, that unknown international player would captivate them so quickly and become the backbone of the Knicks’ rebuild.
Porzingis quickly turned those boos into cheers. His name was chanted at Madison Square Garden during his rookie season as he quickly became a fan favorite, and rightfully so.
There is no one in the NBA with Porzingis’ combination of size and skill. He can handle the ball like a guard, shoots it from long range yet has the length to protect the rim.
It is the tantalizing potential that made Phil Jackson select Porzingis fourth overall and so far the move has paid off. Porzingis had a better rookie season than anyone would have guessed. Despite seemingly being at a mismatch on a nightly basis strength-wise, Porzingis never backed down.
In his rookie season, Porzingis averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds,1.3 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Karl-Anthony Towns and is only building upon those numbers in his sophomore campaign.
Through 28 games Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assist, and 1.8 blocks per game.
The strength and shooting training he went through in the offseason is working out as he is shooting 45.2 percent from the floor overall and 39.2 percent from the three-point line, up from 42.1 and 33.3 as a rookie.
Porzingis’ play has caught the attention of some of his NBA peers. Kevin Durant dubbed Porzingis a “unicorn” last season for his combination of skills, while Russell Westbrook also spoke highly of the talented Porzingis.
This is important for the outlook of the franchise. Durant spoke highly of Porzingis but didn’t think highly of the Knicks organization as a whole.
He has respect for the team, and Carmelo Anthony, but he didn’t give them any consideration during free agency this past summer despite holding his meetings in the Hamptons on Long Island.
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The key to changing that and getting in the room with these superstars will be Porzingis. He brings a lot to the table on the court, but he can also be used as an asset off the court for the Knicks at the negotiating table.
Rival executives think that Porzingis is the Knicks’ golden ticket.
“He certainly will,” a Western Conference executive said earlier this month in regards to helping lure free agents to the Big Apple. “With what he’s doing now, it’s easy to see that happening.”
Another Western Conference executive when asked said:
“Definitely. No question.”
What is there not to like about Porzingis? He has joined some elite company with what he has accomplished in the NBA during his career already. Porzingis is the 12th player since 1983 to record at least 1,500 points and 175 blocks in their first 100 NBA games.
That is an elite list that includes Hall of Famers Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal and fellow budding superstar, Anthony Davis.
Porzingis already has 12 games this season with multiple blocks and three-pointers recorded. The stat line he put up against the Los Angeles Lakers–26 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocks, and three three-pointers–had not been done since 1983.
Porzingis is oozing with talent and will be a huge draw for the Knicks. An agent of many top players believes players will be more than willing to play alongside Porzingis.
“Players really respect his game and would want to play with him. But not without Melo [Carmelo Anthony],” the agent said. “Not at this point. But in a few years? Yes.”
Another agent adds:
“I think guys will definitely [want to play with him] because he can stretch the floor and he’s unselfish. He’s also really, really talented.”
It is nice to hear the Knicks being discussed as a potential destination for players, but the truth to the matter is they still need to build a winner.
Being in the media market of New York is not as big a draw as the past with the evolution of marketing, social media, and endorsements; players can land plenty of gigs off the court playing all around the NBA.
Porzingis himself understands this and is willing to help in any way possible.
“Of course, you want to build a team around you so you can win, so you can go all the way and win the championship one day,” Porzingis told reporters last week. “Of course, that’s on everybody’s mind, I think, that’s in a position to do that.”
Porzingis is focused on the task at hand though, getting the current group of Knicks to be as good as they can be this season.
“Right now, I’m not worried about who I can recruit. I’m just focusing on my team, being the best I can this year,” Porzingis told reporters. “And then going forward, you know, stuff can happen.”
The Knicks currently have a record of 15-13 and are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They have a real shot at being a playoff team in the Eastern Conference this season, which would help lay the groundwork for the future.
Beginning a winning culture early on will be the first step to landing free agents; having Porzingis in the fold will be the cherry on top.
