Kristaps Porzingis had a very rough year last year, and his name was tossed around in a lot of trade talks. He came into the league with many boos and little support. New York Knicks fans thought that they had wasted yet another pick, but Kristaps proved them wrong. He came into the league as a skinny, lengthy player with a lot of confidence. During the 2015-2016 season, he proved all of his doubters wrong, finishing 2nd in rookie of the year voting. His best season yet was with the New York Knicks in the 2017-2018 season where he averaged 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. He then suffered a torn ACL which held him out for the entire 2018-2019 season. During this time he got traded to the Dallas Mavericks to play alongside star Luka Doncic. Ever since this trade, Porzingis has not played to the caliber he once played at. They did not make it past the first round and lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, where Kristaps played poorly. The Mavericks' head coach Rick Carlisle recently left and former NBA player Jason Kidd is now his replacement.
During NBA Media Day, Porzingis stated that to improve his game, he would be working on his 3 point shot. This is because he believes that the game is evolving and the current game plan is to have a big man who can consistently hit from deep. This would make Porzingis a lot more deadly as defenders would have to respect his game from everywhere on the floor. He also stated that although he is improving his shooting, Jason Kidd wants Porzingis to unlock his post moves and become more of a threat inside. This is not a surprise; Porzingis is a 7 foot 3 giant who needs to be productive in the paint. Porzingis is not a good defender, as he doesn’t have the instincts or court awareness on that side of the floor. However, he has been doing a lot of defensive and lateral movement drills over the summer. He said that he hears all of the criticism thrown towards him and said that it is a huge motivator. He also indicated that he has been working a lot during the off season and is trying to change how people view him. He states that this season, “there will be fresh air in the building.”
Kristaps has never looked at himself as a traditional NBA big man. He was one of the only bigs who were dangerous from beyond the arc, and could also drive past their defender. This duality made him a very lethal player, but since he got injured, his driving ability has taken a hit. Post moves would be a great addition to his skillset, as it would make him an all-around scorer. However, he will obviously need to put on more muscle to truly be effective down low, as he won’t get good looks if he is getting shoved around.
Jason Kidd told the media that he would start Porzingis at the power forward spot instead of center. This came as a surprise to most of the reporters, as he did not perform well in the playoffs at the 4 spot. Jason Kidd obviously believes in Porzingis at his original role, and wants to keep his team morale up in an effort to please superstar Luka Doncic. Doncic has indicated to the team that he wants to win now and is tired of losing early in the playoffs.
Porzingis is one of the biggest questions for the Dallas Mavericks and a large part of their success relies on him. If Porzingis has a good season this year, then the Mavs will stay a competitive team. However, if he has a subpar season, then a repeat of last year seems likely. Porzingis came into the league being booed and proved his haters wrong. If there is anything NBA fans should have learned since then, it is to not doubt the 7’3 Latvian.
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