Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis continues to struggle to find his range as a shooter after what was a torrid start to the season. It’s only been two games of poor shooting, but the fact that he was ice cold in back-to-back games was concerning.
Fortunately, Porzingis reminded the masses of the undeniable truth: whether he’s shooting well or not, he’s a threat to take over in any number of ways.
Porzingis shot just 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point range, but that isn’t the story here. Having been criticized for his lackluster production on the boards, Porzingis responded with a truly dominant display.
Porzingis controlled the glass with 14 rebounds and three offensive boards—gaudy statistics that were complemented by his 15 points, two assists, and four blocks.
Porzingis may have been subpar offensively, but he controlled the pace of the game on defense. He denied players at the rim without leaving his feet, out-rebounded DeMarcus Cousins, and even created second chances on the other end.
Porzingis struggling to shoot isn’t irrelevant, but his progress on defense and as a rebounder is far more significant.