New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Sees The Big Picture
New York Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis is happy to be winning games in December, but he knows what truly matters: winning in April, May, and June.
It’s only December and the New York Knicks have already defeated the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. Even more important than winning games against rivals, however, is the fact that New York is 15-13 and in control of its own destiny.
Though New York is happy to be winning in December, the focus remains on something bigger: building a sustainable contender.
15-13 is an excellent place to be after 28 games, especially when one considers that New York has 10 new players and a new head coach. The goal is to make the playoffs and compete for a championship, however, and the Knicks are still 54 games away from doing so.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, second-year star Kristaps Porzingis understands how important it is to maintain focus on the long-term vision.
“We’re not there yet; we play off of our talent a lot,” Porzingis said. “We just need to lock in a little more offensively, when we’re running the plays and executing. We can do a better job on that. Obviously we have a lot of times where Melo saves us, he hits a big shot, or D-Rose saves us. We can still grow so much as a team.
We don’t want to lose sight just because we’re winning. We’ve got to see the big picture and keep growing.”
This is reason to both love Porzingis and be encouraged by the future of the Knicks.
If the season ended today, the Knicks would be the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. New York is 0.5 game back of the No. 4 seed Charlotte Hornets, 1.0 game back of the No. 3 seed Boston Celtics, and 5.0 games back of the division-leading Toronto Raptors.
New York is also just 6.0 games back of the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers, which offers perspective on just how tight a race it currently is.
Though it would be ideal to pursue the No. 1 seed and a division title, the Knicks are a team with bigger ambitions than early victories. A vast majority of the key players on the roster are signed to multi-year contracts and the future face of the franchise, Kristaps Porzingis, is 21 years of age.
Thus, the goal isn’t to make a one-year run at a title with an unsustainable approach to victory; it’s to build a long-term contender.
Carmelo Anthony could come out and score 30 a night to lead the Knicks to victory, but he knows that won’t help other players improve. Porzingis and Derrick Rose could make this is a three-man show with ‘Melo, but the second unit and supporting cast need touches to develop a rhythm of their own.
The only goal for the Knicks in 2016-17 is to build towards sustainability and focus on improving every time out.
The fact that Porzingis is focused on the long-term instead of the immediate returns is a sign that the Knicks are headed in the right direction.
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