Man, was it good to see Kristaps Porzingis running the floor and throwing down monstrous dunks against the Charlotte Hornets during the New York Knicks’ 110-107 victory on Jan. 27.
The mood in the Garden has been somber. The Knicks have lost heartbreaker after heartbreaker and the one bright light in New York seemed to have been dimmed.
When the game started, it was obvious Porzingis was determined to bring the feel-good-vibe back to the Mecca.
Against the Hornets, there was a unicorn sighting. Porzingis had pop, he was sprinting up the floor and knocking down 3-point field goals like a future superstar. He patrolled the paint like a mobile shot-blocking machine and threw down dunks with authority.
KP reminded us all who the man is in New York.
🦄 #NYKvsCHA #Knicks pic.twitter.com/ZiqyH7erOW
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 28, 2017
Jaw-dropping jams provided courtesy of Air Latvia.
Once more because this guy is incredible.
🦄 X 2 #NYKvsCHA #Knicks pic.twitter.com/yE6gRII7mz
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 28, 2017
Against the Hornets KP had 18 points, 16 of which came in the first half. This has been an unsettling trend in the Knicks offense the last two seasons. KP will start off searing hot, hitting a few jumpers and blocking a shot or two.
But as the game goes on, he mysteriously gets phased out of the offense.
The ball doesn’t seem to find its way to KP, nor KP to the ball. The offense stagnates and a stretch of the classic Knicks’ isolation post up ensues, without KP.
In order for Porzingis to become the superstar we all hope he turns into, he will have to demand the rock. It’s not in his character to demand the ball, but his talent makes it a necessity.
Carmelo Anthony was booed at against Charlotte by his own home crowd. For the first time, Knicks fans seemed genuinely done with his midrange jumpers and iso-ball offense. Anthony has been nothing but loyal to the Knicks, and has worked his hardest to bring winning to New York.
Could all of this animosity towards Anthony rest solely on the fact that he doesn’t defer to KP? It might just be.
Given the opportunity, KP can, and will, be the best scorer on the Knicks. Furthermore, he may even develop into the NBA’s premier bucket getter.
In the Knicks’ Dec. 13 matchup against the Phoenix Suns, Porzingis showed us all that, when he’s the focal point of an offense, that offense is unstoppable.
Porzingis dominated the Suns from start to finish. He scored 34 points, grabbed eight boards, blocked three shots, and had three steals. Porzingis attempted well above his average shots per game, putting up 23 shots and doubled his scoring average.
That’s is what Porzingis can do when he’s made the number one option.
Against Detroit he had 35 points (22 shots), and against Portland he had 31 points (23 shots). In Minnesota, he had 29 points (20 shots). Making Porzingis the number one option on a consistent basis could yield positive results if the Knicks are willing to do it.
The immediate future may look dim for the Knicks, but with a roster purge and a few additions of young talent, the Knicks could finally become a free-agent destination again.
Porzingis is one of the four players in this league with a future brighter than the sun itself, and if that doesn’t attract a few free agents, I’m not sure what will.
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