Porzingis Who?
- Jun 29, 2015
- 2 min read
While I am by no means an expert on college basketball, and consequently the NBA draft, I feel like this is an issue that needs to be addressed for basketball fans, but in particular, Knicks fans. With the fourth pick in the NBA Draft, the New York Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis, a 7'1" centre from Latvia, but a relative unknown commodity in comparison to the American college prospects.
Porzingis was showered in a chorus of boos from the New York fans present at the draft, voicing their displeasure with the selection of a young kid out of Europe. Porzingis has exceptional length and rebounding skills but lacks the size to cope with the NBA game. Generally, European bigs have not transitioned well to the NBA and are often bullied around by the bigger American players. The more evolutionary European players utilise their ability to shoot the 3; honing in on it as their primary contribution to the team. A stretch power forward is probably the most valuable position in the NBA right now.
Porzingis has the potential to develop into an elite version of Andrea Bargnani and Donatas Motijunas. He has the potential to be one of the better European players to grace the NBA but this is not what the Knicks need right now. With Carmelo Anthony entering the final year(s) of his prime, the Knicks need a player who can put the ball in the net. Justise Winslow or Stanley Johnson seem lke much more appropriate picks for the team. While Porzingis could grow into a better overall player, if Phil Jackson is to sustain his master plan of winning a title within the next 5 years of Carmelo Anthony's contract, then this was a horrible choice.
While Melo apparently thinks Porzingis was a "steal" at number four, there's no doubt he is screaming internally.
Best case scenario: better version of Bargnani
Worst case scenario: slightly better version of Zydrunas Ilgauskas
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