Critics are beginning to question the legitimacy of Kristaps Porzingis. Here are five reasons the New York Knicks star is indeed a franchise player.
The New York Knicks have made a firm commitment to Kristaps Porzingis as the franchise player. In the midst of his third season in New York, however, Porzingis is emerging as the target of impatient fans’ and sensationalist media members’ ire.
While skepticism is mounting and speculation is growing that Porzingis won’t be able to lead New York into the future, he’s well on his way to franchise player status.
Porzingis is currently averaging 23.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 offensive boards, 1.2 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per game. The Knicks have gone 17-16 in the 33 games he’s appeared in, and 1-5 in the six games he’s missed.
Perhaps most importantly: New York has net ratings of +1.0 when Porzingis is on the court and a team-worst -4.9 when he isn’t—a difference of 5.9 points per 100 possessions.
Unfortunately, Porzingis is in the midst of the first prolonged cold stretch of his NBA career. He’s shooting just 39.5 percent from the field over his past 15 games, which has caused media pundits such as Stephen A. Smith to proclaim that he doesn’t have the body to be a franchise player.
While the outrange and concern is certainly understandable, here are five reasons why Kristaps Porzingis is the perfect franchise player for the New York Knicks.