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New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis explains why he’d rather play the 4

By Maxwell Ogden

BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 12: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks in action against Trevor Booker #35 of the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 12, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 120-112. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 12: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks in action against Trevor Booker #35 of the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 12, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 120-112. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Many believe New York Knicks rising star Kristaps Porzingis should play center. Porzingis explained why he’d rather play power forward.

Throughout his two-year tenure with the New York Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis has been the topic of conversations about what could one day be. Between speculation about how high his ceiling truly is and which position he should play, the long-term thinking has been incessant.

Although many are calling for the Knicks to move the third-year big man to center in 2017-18, Porzingis isn’t quite as enthusiastic about that possibility.

Porzingis has played 75 percent of his minutes at power forward during his NBA career. The brief glimpses of his potential at center have been intriguing, as the 7’3″ matchup nightmare has stretched the opposition’s primary rim protectors out to the three-point line.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Porzingis explained why he’s more comfortable playing power forward—and it’s all about the physical toll.

"“I think it’s better for us,” Porzingis said Wednesday. “Me at the 4, especially if I’m playing against a non-shooting 4, I can do a lot. When I’m playing against the 5, I’m fighting with the big a lot of times and I’m wasting a lot of energy. Obviously, offensively I have an advantage at center, but I’m just more comfortable playing at the 4.”"

Porzingis acknowledges that New York would have an advantage on offense with him at the 5, but it would cost him dearly defensively—and physically.

Many have argued that Porzingis should play the 5, but an excellent case study is Anthony Davis. The New Orleans Pelicans attempted to play Davis at center, but he hadn’t yet put on enough muscle to take the punishment that comes with playing the position.

In turn, Davis was consistently banged up and missed valuable time that could have been spent grooming him for a potential move rather than forcing him into it before he was ready.

Thus, while having a sharpshooting center would be an incredible advantage, it wouldn’t make sense until Porzingis is physically ready to do so.

Porzingis talks about wasting energy while fighting centers for position, and that’s due in some part to his thin frame. Once he bulks up—and remember, he’s still just 22 years of age—his combination of size and strength should make playing center much easier to do.

Until then, it would be far too dangerous to put Porzingis at a position he’s uncomfortable with playing—a risk that far outweighs the reward at this stage.

Must Read: Five reasons Kristaps Porzingis will be an All-Star in 2017-18

Thus, while the future of the New York Knicks may include Kristaps Porzingis playing center, it’s fair to believe he’ll be stationed at the 4 for the foreseeable future.

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