With Carmelo Anthony out, the New York Knicks will turn to Kristaps Porzingis as the franchise player. The time is now to prove the hype is real.
Over the past two seasons, NBA fans across the world have marveled at what New York Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis can do on the basketball court. Never before have we seen a combination of size, athleticism, and shooting ability all rolled into one player.
The appropriately nicknamed ‘unicorn’ is the rare NBA player who can block a shot on one end, come down the court, and either drill a three or posterize a defender on the other.
Watch him do exactly that against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks:
We have all been wowed by what this man has done in such little amount of time. It didn’t seem to matter how skinny or foul prone he was. With young players like Porzingis, especially ones who were thought to be long-term projects, it was just nice to see that the dude can ball.
When Porzingis arrived in New York, Carmelo Anthony was still the face of the franchise and nobody expected much in the wins column. Porzingis was free to learn on the fly and make mistakes, because what did it matter if he did?
Now, things have changed. Anthony is gone, the rebuild is on, and everyone has rightfully anointed Porzingis as the new face of the franchise.
Typically, an NBA player’s third season is the opportune time for a breakout campaign. By now they should’ve fully grasped the nuances of everything that comes with being an NBA player, and have hopefully corrected any flaws that have presented themselves during their first two seasons.
That, combined with more trust and opportunities from the coaching staff, should be enough for a player to truly show what they’re capable of.
Porzingis has put together a nice mixtape during his first two years in the league, but the honeymoon is over. Now arriving are the expectations that come with being a high lottery pick and a franchise player.
Knicks fans aren’t expecting a championship for the 2017-2018 season. I doubt they’re even expecting a playoff berth. What they’d like to know is that they have an actual franchise-level talent on their roster.
Potential can only last for so long in this league. There comes a time in every athlete’s career where potential has to become actual production, and if it doesn’t, that player will slowly fade into oblivion.
It’s been nice to see Porzingis flash his unique skill set, but if he doesn’t start putting everything together on a consistent basis, then why should anybody care what he can do?
Strings of bad games will not be tolerated anymore. Foul trouble will not be chocked up to youthful ignorance. If Porzingis doesn’t make the All-Star Game, some would consider it a disappointment.
It’s time for KP to get off the hype train and prove to everyone watching that he is, in fact, a franchise player.
Luckily for KP, everything is in place for him to have his breakout campaign. Phil Jackson and his beloved triangle offense are no longer with the team. With that comes a more modernized offense, perfect for Porzingis’s modernized game.
He’s the unquestioned best player on the squad. Everything is going to run through him. His confidence is sky-high after a great showing at EuroBasket 2017.
There’ no reason to doubt Porzingis’ ability to have a breakout campaign. All signs point to an increase in his numbers across the board.
That being said, he still has to go out and turn the projections into real stats. If he doesn’t, many will start to wonder whether The Unicorn is as good as they once thought.
Must Read: 5 reasons Kristaps Porzingis will be an All-Star in 2017-18
All eye are on Kristaps Porzingis. New York Knicks fans believe he’ll justify the hype.