New York Knicks Hope Kristaps Porzingis Passes on Olympics
Kristaps Porzingis would love to represent Latvia at the 2016 Olympics, but the Knicks would rather he spend the summer in New York.
As many have said before, there is no greater honor than to represent one’s country at the Olympics. That opportunity has been presented to New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, who has a chance to lead Latvia into the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Not everyone is as excited about the potential for Porzingis to spend the summer overseas as he understandably is.
The Knicks have a vested interest in Porzingis’ development, and some within the organization fear that his playing in the Olympics would distract him from improving upon his weaknesses. That’s not a question of his work ethic, but instead an acknowledgement of how time-consuming the entire process is.
According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, interim head coach Kurt Rambis would rather see Porzingis remain in New York to train with the Knicks than travel to Rio.
"“If I had my choice, I think it’s obvious what I want,” Rambis said Friday. “But I understand a player’s commitments to their country and their desires to play for their country. I understand all that. But from a selfish standpoint, looking at it purely from a Knicks standpoint, yeah, we want him here with us the whole time.”"
Rambis is clearly supportive of his star rookie, but wants what any coach would from the future face of the franchise: development.
Porzingis has crafted a magical and unforgettable rookie season, but he still has significant weaknesses that must be addressed. Growing pains are expected, but as he gains more experience, the leash will be shorter and the inconsistency will be criticized.
Playing overseas could do wonders for Porzingis’ confidence, but it could also limit the time he has to work on his game.
Assuming Porzingis were to skip the Olympics, New York would likely provide him with the in-depth training necessary to safely add muscle to his frame. The Knicks would also work with Porzingis on honing the skills that are already in place, but not yet developed to the point they could one day reach.
Porzingis would love to have the opportunity to represent his country at the Olympics, but understands that he has other priorities that must be addressed.
"“It’s still up in the air. Once the season is over I’ll have some time to make a decision,” he said. “Sit down with my family, with my agent, with my brothers, and make that decision. It’s an important thing for Latvia. I’m a proud Latvian and I want to represent my country. So I have to really think about it, make a decision.”“No. 1 thing is get stronger, prepare my body for next season. That’s the No. 1 thing,” he said. “And making my shot. I want to get my percentages way up. I don’t want to be shooting the low percentages this season. There are a lot of areas I want to be better at.”"
Porzingis clearly has his head in the right place.
It’s a great honor to represent one’s country, and no one would be able to rationally fault Porzingis for doing so. The Knicks have an equally understandable desire to see Porzingis remain in New York to train with the team.
The promising news is that the two sides appear to be mutually supportive, as opposed to being at odds over this potential decision.
If Porzingis leaves to play for Latvia at the 2016 Summer Olympics, he’ll have the understanding of his coaches, teammates, and executives. For what it’s worth, Carmelo Anthony is committed to representing Team USA and winning a male basketball record third Olympic gold medal.
The difference, of course, is that Anthony is a nine-time All-Star, and Porzingis is a rookie with something to prove. Thus, Anthony going to play for Team USA and Porzingis spending the summer with the Latvian national team would expectedly have different results.
Rambis also noted the concern that Porzingis would be overworking himself by transitioning directly from his first NBA season into international play.
"“Sometimes players the way they’re playing today, they play too much. They play year-round. And a lot of the summer can be used to develop strength, to work on aspects of their game that need development. And not necessarily just playing,” Rambis said. “When you’re playing, you go back to your strengths, you go back to your instincts. So a lot of training and developing and changing your game can happen over the summer. But sometimes playing can be bad if you’re doing too much of it. And it’s not conducive to player development.”"
That’s not as crazy of a fear as it sounds.
Porzingis recently spoke about how challenging it’s been to transition from a 50-game Liga ACB season to the 82-game NBA schedule. To suddenly go from his 82-game experience to a grueling international schedule could result in his being fatigued, if not a distraction from improving upon his weaknesses.
Regardless of what Porzingis does, he seems to have Rambis and Phil Jackson‘s full support.
More knicks: If the Knicks botch free agency, it could cost them Carmelo Anthony
The Knicks simply can’t help but hope for a full summer with the future face of the franchise.