New York Knicks: Jeff Hornacek on Kristaps Porzingis’ road to recovery
New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis will have a long road to recovery, but head coach Jeff Hornacek isn’t concerned about his franchise player’s future.
The New York Knicks are building the future of the organization around 2015 top-five draft pick Kristaps Porzingis. That much is common knowledge, but it’s an approach that was recently endangered when Porzingis suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee.
With many around the NBA inevitably concerned that New York’s 7’3″ Unicorn will never be the same, head coach Jeff Hornacek has rushed to his defense.
Much of the concern surrounding Porzingis is birthed from a place of history. Seven-footers who suffer lower leg injuries have a difficult time recovering, as the weight they carry up top and the speed of the game becomes an overwhelming burden for a surgically repaired joint.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Hornacek is of the belief that Porzingis has the perfect attitude to overcome this devastating injury.
"“There’s initial shock when something like that happens. Then he comes to grips with it — nothing you can do about it — and he’s accepted it. He has a great attitude about it. He knows he’s going to get back. He knows he’s going to be back better than ever. He wishes it didn’t happen that way, but he’ll able to learn things from watching the game the rest of this year. He’s a kid who wants to be one of the best. We know he’s going to work hard to get back.”"
Some have concerns about certain aspects of Porzingis’ game, but his work ethic has never been called into question.
Porzingis is the furthest thing from a conventional big man. Not only is he an outstanding shooter and a dominant shot-blocker, but he has a tight handle that he utilizes to drive on opponents and finish both at and around the rim.
Porzingis’ combination of agility, speed, and coordination is unprecedented for his player his size, but it occasionally puts his body in harm’s way.
That much was unfortunately established when tore his ACL, as the 7’3″ anomaly ran off of a screen and drove the lane for a dunk over a 6’11” opponent.
This isn’t to say that Porzingis’ injury was his fault, nor that he can’t play the way he’s accustomed to playing once his knee has fully healed. Instead, it calls for the 22-year-old to target the strength and sturdiness of his lower body as he prepares for the road to recovery.
If there’s a silver lining to be found, it may be that suffering a knee injury will either force or compel Porzingis to focus on that area of his physical development.
Must Read: Burning questions to answer without Kristaps Porzingis
The injury was an undeniable setback, but New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is confident that Kristaps Porzingis will come back an even better player.