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2015 NBA Draft: Knicks Must Consider Kristaps Porzingis

By Maxwell Ogden

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The 2015 NBA Draft is on the horizon and the New York Knicks are almost on the clock. With Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns all but locked in as the Top 2 picks—in one order or another—the Knicks’ options have been narrowed to a select few.

No matter what the draft board may look like right now, Phil Jackson and the Knicks need to gamble on Kristaps Porzingis.

The prospects who are reportedly on the radar are Willie Cauley-Stein, Frank Kaminsky, Trey Lyles, Emmanuel Mudiay, Porzingis and D’Angelo Russell. Every one of those players makes sense, but if New York doesn’t trade down, the general expectation is that three players will be considered: Mudiay, Porzingis and Russell.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Porzingis has made one thing clear: it would be his dream come true to play for the Knicks.

"“It’s my dream [to] play for the Knicks. It’s a basketball city. It definitely is a big spotlight,” Porzingis said on Wednesday. “I think I can take it. I would love to be a part of, a leader of that rebuilding team.”Earlier, Porzingis told ESPN’s Andy Katz of the Knicks: “That’s a great organization … I would say the best organization there is in the NBA, one of the best.”"

That’s hardly reason to draft someone, but it’s still comforting to know that they’d willingly enter your organization.

Assuming Porzingis is on the board and Jahlil Okafor is not, New York needs to avoid the conservative route. History states that European players are boom-or-bust, specifically power forwards who are too thin to play in the post.

With Jackson bringing the Triangle Offense to New York City, however, Porzingis would be the perfect fit—no matter what his draft stock is looking like.

Whether or not that’s true, New York cannot afford to go through the No. 4 pick without at least considering Porzingis.

Porzingis is a giant of a human being, standing taller than most NBA centers with a gigantic wingspan. That isn’t hyperbole, either; it’s based in fact.

Chad Ford of ESPN Insider reported on his measurements:

7’1″ without shoes generally means 7’2″ or even 7’3″ with shoes. Unreal.

Those measurements make him the tallest player in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Physically, the gifts are immense.

In terms of his skill set, Porzingis’ greatest strength is a jump shot that makes most guards look incompetent as shooters. His form is impeccable, his range is without limit and his release point is almost impossible to reach.

In the Triangle Offense, that shot alone would make him a lethal threat from the elbow.

Porzingis is also a competent passer who can set players up with handoffs or hit them off the dive. Throw in his ability to score in transition, and his offensive game is as intriguing as any player in recent memory.

Defensively, Porzingis is a quality shot-blocker who uses his length to overwhelm opponents. His fundamentals aren’t necessarily elite, but he has enough raw tools to grow into a role as a defensive anchor.

Bulking up and improving in the post will be vital to his career arc, but Porzingis is committed to success.

Call me naive, but I believe him.

Porzingis has been given the lofty upside comparisons of Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and two-time Sixth Man of the Year Detlef Schrempf. He’s also been compared to Darko Milicic and Jan Vesely.

Despite Nowitzki’s success, Porzingis has grand motivation in proving the European stereotypes wrong.

Porzingis will play with an edge to him, staring into his opponent’s heart and wanting to rip it out, from a figurative basketball stance. He’ll score from all over the court and would work the elbow in the Triangle Offense, a la Pau Gasol.

For what it’s worth, Gasol won two NBA championships with Jackson and current Knicks head coach Derek Fisher during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2009 and 2010 runs.

There’s inevitable skepticism, and reasonably so given European players’ history of inconsistency in the NBA. If Okafor isn’t available, however, Porzingis must be considered a legitimate option at No. 4.

The New York Knicks need a player of his caliber and upside.

Next: The New York Knicks shouldn't hold their breath on a DeMarcus Cousins trade

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