Kristaps Porzingis Is A Lot More NBA Ready Than Expected

Mental Preparedness

His intelligence on defense leads perfectly into what is arguably the most important reason why Kristaps Porzingis is ready to contribute to the Knicks: his mentality. While European prospects are notoriously soft and unable to adjust to NBA play, Porzingis represents somewhat of a different mold. He is excited, almost desperate to improve his game, emphasizing his desire to further develop physically, technically and mentally.

He knows he has significant work to do before he’s ready to become a star, and he relishes the opportunity to achieve such a goal.

When asked about the usual stereotypes of European players by The Orlando Sentinel, he confidently answered:

"“That doesn’t upset me. But I’m just going to say that I’m not the typical, stereotype guy. I’m not soft. I’m skinny, but that doesn’t mean I’m soft. I got actually in a few fights during the season with some of the guys on the team because it’s how it is. If you want to give me elbows and stuff, I’ll be there to fight. I don’t care. But I don’t like being labeled as ‘soft,’ because I’m not that.”"

In the same interview, Porzingis was quoted saying what he was most looking forward to upon entering the NBA:

"“Actually, in Europe one thing that we don’t have is accessible gyms 24/7. I’m very excited that in the NBA you get a key or a card or whatever; you can get in the gym anytime, work out at night if you want to. I’m very excited with that. I can’t wait to be able to work out anytime I want.”"

That desire to be great is the icing on the cake.

Next: A Will to Win