Milwaukee Bucks Opposition Intel: New York Knicks Q&A With Sean Linhares
By Adam McGee
Dec 4, 2015; New York, NY; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) battles for the ball with Brooklyn Nets guard
Jarrett Jack(2) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports
AM: Kristaps Porzingis is propelling himself right towards the front of the Rookie of the Year race at the moment. Did you expect him to be this good, and if not, what has been the most pleasant surprise?
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SL: Kristaps Porzingis is probably the best thing in my life right now. That is not an exaggeration.
Seriously, the guy is just on another level that I don’t think anyone thought was possible.
When the Knicks took the guy fourth overall in last years draft, I chose to trust the smart people saying the kid could probably be very good in a few seasons rather than side with the boo-birds that knew nothing about the 19-year old Latvian. Even with siding with the long list of NBA experts that expected KP to be good after a few years in the league, I don’t think anyone could have expected this.
Over his last seven games, Kristaps has averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds, and a few blocks as well as having 10 double-doubles in the Knicks 20 games. He’s been hitting three’s, running hooks, and put back dunks. He’s snagged rebounds, blocked shots, and been overall awesome on both sides of the floor.
So no, I did not expect this. For me, seeing how tough Porzingis is on the low block has been the best part of the “Zing Dynasty”. The most common criticism around KP when he was drafted was that he was just another soft Euro player that would be able to hit a jump shot but never prove his worth in the league. Fans immediately made the comparison to Bargnani.
Who did Kristaps compare himself to? Russell Westbrook, the angriest player in the league. And the scary thing is is that Porzingis can seemingly match Russell’s intensity down low despite not having the strength of many opponents.
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