Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: What Kristaps Porzingis must do to become a superstar

By James O'Connell

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks enters the arena before a game against the Detroit Pistons on March 27, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks enters the arena before a game against the Detroit Pistons on March 27, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 25: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks dunks against the Boston Celtics on December 25, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 25: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks dunks against the Boston Celtics on December 25, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Show Consistency

To be considered an NBA superstar, you must show up every single night. On a few occasions, Kristaps Porzingis would go on an absolute tear, effortlessly 20-plus points per outing during a three or four-game stretch.

But on other occasions, Porzingis would put together a stretch that would leave fans scratching their heads.

For example, between November 22 and November 30 of 2016, Porzingis went on a five-game tear. During that time, he averaged 24.4 points  7.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per gamewhile shooting a line of .484/.441/.833.

A stretch like that makes you start talking about building a team around a player and handing them the keys to the franchise.

But then, over the very next five games (December 2 to 9) after that stretch, KP averaged 13.8 points per game on 31.3 percent shooting from the field, 23.1 percent shooting from three-point range, and 76.5 percent shooting from the free throw line.

If Porzingis wants to be an NBA superstar, you can’t be on fire for five games, but the very next five games barely can draw iron.

You may say that’s just one instance, but if you truly paid attention last season, you know this happened quite a few times.

If KP wants to be seen as a superstar, he has to be a consistent force and stop stretches like that.

Home/Knicks News