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New York Knicks: Jeff Hornacek intrigued by Enes Kanter, Kristaps Porzingis duo

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks talks with Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks during practice at Kicks Training Facility on September 30, 2017 in Tarrytown, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks talks with Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks during practice at Kicks Training Facility on September 30, 2017 in Tarrytown, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek likes the idea of playing center Enes Kanter alongside power forward Kristaps Porzingis.

The New York Knicks have committed to building around power forward Kristaps Porzingis. Doing so means surrounding players who complement his strengths and mask his remaining flaws as he develops into an even more well-rounded player than he already is.

One could make a case that no offseason move projects to have a more direct impact on Porzingis’ success than the acquisition of Enes Kanter.

The Knicks acquired Kanter as a part of the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a somewhat puzzling move due to the surplus of centers on the roster, but during the preseason, he separated himself from the pack.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, head coach Jeff Hornacek is intrigued by the possibility of playing Kanter alongside Porzingis during the regular season.

"“Kanter brings that toughness, that hard rolling to the basket. That’s something that – if KP’s out there that might be effective. If our guards can hit him on the roll and get to the basket then [they’re] going to have to do something and they can’t really leave KP. So that hard-rolling will be critical for us to do.”"

The balance of power and finesse is crucial at the interior positions, and Kanter and Porzingis project to be able to create that dynamic for the Knicks.

Porzingis’ value is well-documented as a floor-stretching power forward who can drive the lane and work from the high and mid-post areas. At this stage of his career, however, he hasn’t added enough muscle to be able to back opponents down on the low block or dominate the boards.

Kanter has the power and toughness that Porzingis is still developing, which suggests that he could become the ideal interior complement.

Hornacek is aware of the potential benefits of playing the interior standouts alongside one another, and will likely explore their upside.

For those unfamiliar with Kanter, he’s been one of the most efficiently productive big men in the NBA since 2014-15. During that three-year window, he averaged 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 offensive rebounds in just 23.5 minutes per game, shooting 54.4 percent shooting from the field.

Those numbers translate to legitimately elite marks of 21.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 4.8 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes.

Must Read: Who stepped up during the preseason finale?

The New York Knicks have the necessary talent to overwhelm the opposition at the two interior positions.

Enes Kanter and Kristaps Porzingis could be two of Jeff Hornacek’s most valued offensive weapons.

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