Kristaps Porzingis was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. It was a move that made many New York Knicks fans scratch their heads and some went farther with their unhappiness with the pick. Most of those fans have now been won over by the 7-foot-3 big man and are happy with the pick.
Throughout the course of the 2016-17 NBA thus far, Porzingis has averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He has shot 50.2 percent from the field overall and has knocked down 39.0 percent of his three-point shots.
At just 21-years-old, Porzingis continued his growth into a superstar against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Porzingis scored 31 points on 13-23 shooting and also grabbed nine rebounds. He led his team to a close 107-103 victory and it is without question that he is getting better with each passing week.
New York is an intriguing team to watch in the Eastern Conference. They are currently 7-7, which would make them good enough for the No. 7 seed in the playoff picture. While they may not end up contending for an NBA Finals appearance, they have a roster that could make it difficult for anyone to knock them out in a seven-game series.
Assuming Porzingis continues to progress the way that he has since coming into the NBA, the Knicks are going to get a lot better over the next couple of years. There is no question that Porzingis has the potential to become one of the next big stars in the league.
All of that being said, Knicks’ fans should be very excited about the future. Porzingis is just one of the many talented pieces that New York has put together.
Expect to see him continue working hard and improving throughout the rest of the season. New York looks to be a fringe playoff team at this point in the season, but perhaps the improvement that Porzingis makes throughout the rest of the season will put them over the top and into the postseason.
Check out the full highlights of his big game against the Trail Blazers for yourself.
