New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis explains recent shooting woes
Since opening the season in superstar form, New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis has endured a rough patch. He explained why.
Sports fans have a tendency to dismiss the context of a situation when things aren’t going according to plan. Over the past 16 years, no fan base or front office has fallen victim to that flawed mentality on a more consistent basis than those who support and craft the New York Knicks.
That truth is rearing its ugly head again in 2017-18, as criticism begins to surface for rising star Kristaps Porzingis during a rare period of inconsistency.
Porzingis completed the first 11 games of the 2017-18 regular season with a blistering average of 30.4 points per game on a slash line of .513/.411/.841. Over the course of the past 16 games, however, his numbers have dipped to 20.6 points per game on a slash line of .395/.364/.816.
Per the brilliant work of Ian Begley and ESPN New York, Porzingis offered an in-depth explanation of why he’s struggling to shoot in recent weeks.
After a blistering stretch earlier in the year (27.7 PPG/48 FG% over 14 games), Kristaps Porzingis is shooting 40% in his last 9 games (20.6 PPG). I thought he gave a thoughtful, big-picture answer when talking about some of the reasons for the recent shooting numbers: pic.twitter.com/iL2GeleVyO
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 26, 2017
For as brilliant as Porzingis is on the court, one of the primary reasons fans adore him is how thoughtful and wise he is off of it.
Rather than simply chalking this up to his knee, his elbow, or his ankle, Porzingis offered an actual explanation for his struggles. For as brilliant as the 22-year-old has been through three seasons, the crucial context is that he’s only played 27 games as the Knicks’ No. 1 scoring option.
Thus, while romanticized thinking suggests that a superstar should have it all together from day one, that simply isn’t a realistic take on the matter.
What Porzingis is going through is admittedly close to what fans should have expected him to go through, especially with New York’s No. 2 scoring option sidelined by an injury.
Thus, while criticism is inevitable, the healthier exercise would be to evaluate what’s behind Porzingis’ recent woes. He’s still one of the most dynamic players in the NBA; he’s simply facing pressure and schemes he’s never faced before.
Rather than criticizing Porzingis and leaving it at that, it would be far more productive to evaluate what the Knicks can do to help him get back to where he was.
Must Read: Keys to defeating the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 27
Knowing how hard he works, it’s only a matter of time before New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis returns to form as the dynamic scorer that he is.