Kristaps Porzingis to Knicks: Twitter Reacts as PF Is Selected in 2015 NBA Draft

With center Jahlil Okafor going off the board at No. 3 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks opted for another big man at No. 4 overall—Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis.

ESPN provided a photo of Porzingis taking the stage after commissioner Adam Silver announced the pick:

The Knicks welcomed Porzingis to the Big Apple on Twitter: 

Porzingis is revered as one of the most upside-laden players in this year's class, but as ESPN.com's Ian Begley wrote, he isn't expected to be anything close to a finished product upon arrival: 

CBS Sports' Ken Berger echoed that sentiment: 

Going for a home run selection at No. 4 overall, the Knicks picked a perimeter-oriented forward who prefers to stroke the rock in catch-and-shoot situations, as Synergy Sports noted: 

Upon hearing Silver announce Porzingis' name, Knicks fans at Barclays Center reacted with a mix of cheers and boos, per SLAM Magazine: 

One young fan was even reduced to tears, as CSN Philly's John Clark captured:  

Porzingis did his best to quell concerns regarding his NBA capabilities after getting selected, according to SNY.tv's Moke Hamilton: 

Porzingis said he's "looking forward to being part of this special organization," per the team. He noted that he's looking forward to the fans and Madison Square Garden in particular.

However, as the Sacramento Bee's Joe Davidson noted, international prospects can't be judged based on negative fan reactions: 

The 19-year-old Latvian is expected to operate as a stretch 4 upon arrival in the NBA. During his 2014-15 stint with Spanish side Baloncesto Sevilla, Porzingis shot 31.3 percent from beyond the arc while drilling 53.1 percent of his two-point shots. During Eurocup play, Porzingis nudged his long-range conversion rate up to 35.9 percent. 

According to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Porzingis graded out as the draft's top power forward because of his unique combination of scoring tools and high upside.

"Porzingis is a unique scorer for a player of his size," Wasserman wrote. "His ball skills, particularly on the perimeter, are very impressive. He's shown the ability to rise and fire for a jumper, separate into one or attack the rim in line drives."

With a 7'6'' wingspan, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, Porzingis should be able to make an impact around the rim too. And while he doesn't yet have the strength (230 lbs) required to regularly take opposing bigs in the post, Porzingis boasts impressive lateral quickness that could make him a matchup nightmare in the pick-and-roll.

The youngster also has solid bounce for a player of his stature, which will allow him to punish defenses inside and out as his game develops. 

"I don't like being labeled soft," Porzingis said, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. "I'm very hungry. I love the game. I've got to prove to coaches and GMs that I'm not soft just because I'm from Europe. They need to see that I'm not just some skinny white guy, that I’m going to be there fighting."

Porzingis may be relatively unknown to fans stateside, but with a blend of versatile skills that could make him the perfect big man for the modern game, it's hard to ignore his seemingly limitless ceiling.