Kristaps Porzingis has shown all the signs of a player ready to take the next step for the New York Knicks. The next step: rebounding and low-post defense.
New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis has experienced an impressive beginning to his career, filled with highlights and flashes of brilliance. His scoring ability is unique in the sense that he can take a big off the dribble and finish with finesse, hit the midrange jumper with a defender in his face, and hit the deep ball at an alarming rate.
KP also blocks shots like few in the NBA can, due to his length and uncanny sense of timing.
While the upside for the second-year player is blatantly obvious, he has many holes in his game that need to be filled if he’s going to take the next step in his career development.
The two areas he must drastically improve in are rebounding and low-post defense. Porzingis is 7’3″ with long arms and a smaller frame, but he still has athletic and length advantages over most NBA players, and he needs to utilize his gifts.
At 7’3″, Porzingis should easily gobble up at least nine rebounds per game due to his size and length alone.
During his rookie season, KP averaged 7.3 rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game. During his sophomore season, he’s averaging 7.1 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game.
That’s a regression on both a per game and per 36 minutes basis.
Porzingis is often compared to Dirk Nowitzki and we can look towards Dirk for reference once again here. Nowitzki was never the most athletic or tenacious rebounder on the court, but he was able to average well above eight rebounds per game through his first seven NBA seasons.
Nowitzki’s rebounding numbers dropped off during the 2009-10 season because of Erik Dampier and Brendan Haywood both averaging over seven boards per game. In 2010-11 the trend continued withTyson Chandler grabbing nine boards per game.
Knicks fans know how talented a rebounder Chandler is.
With Joakim Noah (8.7 boards per game)out for the season, Porzingis has an opportunity to show he can bang down low and be a solid rebounder.
A bright and shining example of a modern NBA workhorse is playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and his name is Tristan Thompson. He stands barely 6’9″, but through effort and an undeniable gift for rebounding, he’s averaging 9.7 rebounds per game this season.
He has averaged over nine rebounds in four of his six seasons in the NBA. His knack for rebounding lies in his constant effort. When watching Thompson in person and on television, he’s a joy to watch as the ball clanks off the rim.
In last year’s NBA Finals, Thompson grabbed 15 and 16 boards during Games 5 and 6. His effort contributed to the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history.
Rebounding needs to be the major point of emphasis for Porzingis’ development. The Knicks needs to preach the importance of rebounding to the Latvian wonder child early and often so it becomes part of his basketball acumen.
In the future, when the Knicks finally make it back to the playoffs and have a winning culture, a loose ball rebound may just be the difference between reaching the Finals and going back to the drawing board in the offseason.
The Knicks must also relentlessly preach the importance of defense to Porzingis if he is to make career leaps. KP has a reputation around the NBA as a good defender because of his shot-blocking ability.
However, defense is more than just blocking shots, and KP needs to show improvement. During New York’s victories in 2016-17, Porzingis has a 98.9 defensive rating.
During losses? His rating plummets to 113. The Knicks unsurprisingly win more when KP plays at a high level on defense.
Porzingis has drastically improved in his two years since entering the NBA. He understands how to defend the pick and roll masterfully and is a wizard of help defense at the rim.
His one-on-one low post defense is still suspect, however, and improvement in this area lies mostly in experience. KP is a fast learner, so he will most likely adapt and improve during years to come.
Porzingis is only 21 years of age and has already given Knicks fans a reason to stay loyal, but his improvement is vital for the franchise’s livelihood. As he ages and gains more NBA experience, he will become a bigger and brighter star.
Must Read: Chasson Randle stole the show against the Orlando Magic
Porzingis will only improve in the nitty-gritty aspects of the game. If there’s one player who will devote himself to the cause and work at it every single day, it’s Kristaps Porzingis.