3. The Work Ethic
Easily the most difficult aspect of a player’s game to predict is their work ethic. There are an abundance of athletes with talent, but only a select few who are willing to put the work in and thus realize their full potential.
Kristaps Porzingis is one of the rare examples of a player who’s as much of a gym rat as he is a naturally gifted talent.
Porzingis has been a sponge for knowledge and the epitome of commitment. He’s putting in the time and effort to fill out his frame, and is adding new skills to his repertoire with every passing season, if not month.
Porzingis has already displayed the ability to attack off the bounce, pull out Dream Shakes, utilize knee-up turnaround Js, and run the floor with surprising coordination.
Beyond what he’s showcased, Porzingis has trained with future Hall of Famers such as Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki. The results were encouraging from his time with Anthony, and now he’ll come back having spent time with one of six players in NBA history to score 30,000 points.
As the New York Knicks pursue their first championship since 1973, having a star who’s willing to work his tail off would set an excellent example.