New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale will be traveling to meet with Kristaps Porzingis in Latvia on July 23. What might the meeting entail?
In recent days, speculation has surfaced that New York Knicks franchise player Kristaps Porzingis will be ready to return by December. This would make the Knicks a much more interesting team.
Can you imagine if Mitchell Robinson and Porzingis were on the floor together? Their combined wingspan is around 15 feet, which is the size of the free throw line.
Robinson boasts a 9’3″ standing reach. Accompanied with Porzingis 9’4.5″ reach, they are a combined 18’7.5″ straight up.
Enough drooling.
Fizdale and his family are set to go to Latvia in just under a week. As beautiful as Latvia is this time of year, this isn’t a vacation spot for the Fizdale family. This is a personal business trip
Per Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated:
"And my wife and I are flying out in two weeks to go spend a week with him and his family."
Soon thereafter, Fizdale provided a concrete date for when he’ll be visiting Porzingis.
David Fizdale says in an interview on the ESPN broadcast of Knicks-Lakers that he and his wife are scheduled to visit Kristaps Porzingis and his family in Latvia on July 23.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 11, 2018
Fizdale is going to Latvia for a reason: He wants to keep Porzingis in the loop with all the decisions, and updates on the team.
He also wants to build a personal relationship with his franchise player.
The Injury
Porzingis is injured. If you didn’t know that, you’re out of the loop. He’s set to come back before the 2019-20 season, but there have been rumors suggesting so many different timetables that it’s impossible to tell.
This visit could be for Fizdale to tell Porzingis to calm down on the recovery. The Knicks aren’t going to to compete for a title this year. Fizdale may be going to tell Porzingis that no matter the circumstance, he’ll be shut down for the season.
I don’t think this is going to happen, as the Knicks need to showcase their prowess to incoming free agents.
Contract
It’s no secret that Porzingis is entering his contract year. He’s eligible to make $150-plus million next summer, and the Knicks would probably give him the contract.
With his injury sidelining Porzingis for a long time, Fizdale may not get a chance to speak with the All-Star in person until after the season. Coach Fizdale will be using his time to get the rest of the Knicks game-ready.
Porzingis will be rehabbing; whether or not he’s with the team remains to be seen.
Porzinigis taking the max would handcuff the Knicks. They have money to spend, but if he’s dominating the payroll, it limits their options. Free agents this summer have taken team-friendly deals to help build contenders.
Fizdale could even be going to Latvia to reason with Porzingis on his new contract;. Obviously this is all speculation, but Fizdale’s trip to Latvia definitely raises questions.
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One thing is certain: David Fizdale and the New York Knicks are invested in Kristaps Porzingis.