Realistic Expectations for NY Knicks Rookie Guillermo Hernangomez in 2016-17

Any friend of Kristaps Porzingis is a friend of New York Knicks fans. So Guillermo "Willy" Hernangomez should get a warm welcome in New York when he suits up as backup center.

Hernangomez and Porzingis were once teammates on Baloncesto Sevilla in Liga ACB, and, as Hernangomez told ESPN.com's Ian Begley, "We are very close. We can say that we are like brothers."

Via a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks selected Hernangomez at No. 35 in the 2015 NBA draft. It was a classic "Eurostash" maneuver as the 6'10" 22-year old spent the past year playing about 12 minutes per game off the bench for Real Madrid—the most decorated team in Liga ACB, the top tier in Spain's five-tier system.

In February, Porzingis told the New York Post's Marc Berman that he talked to Willy (pronounced "Billy," per Begley) every day via text and hoped he would be coming to play in New York. KP's scouting report (sales pitch), per Berman: “He’s big, very good hook shot with both hands. He really knows how to hold his defender. He’s really good in the post. The triangle offense would fit very well.’’

Hernangomez's basketball skills have been vetted by more than just Porzingis and the Knicks' front office, of course. He's the son of two professional basketball players—his father, a Real Madrid veteran; his mother, a Eurocup champion. His brother, Juan (Juancho), was just selected No. 15 by the Denver Nuggets in 2016's NBA draft.

Team Fit

The new-look Knicks are an old-school squad with driving point guards and true center Joakim Noah operating in the low post. They should be a sprightly bunch, however, with enough agility and speed to score in transition and run a brisk half-court system (like the triangle) that requires lots of quick cuts and ball movement.

Hernangomez should fit in just swimmingly, by his own description, given to Begley: "I'm a center. I love playing in the low post. I like passing the ball to my teammates. ... I like to run and play fast like [head coach Jeff Hornacek] wants. I like to run the fast break."

Hernangomez is less about power and more about skill. He's not going to give you many rim-shaking dunks (although there will be a few), but he'll please crowds in other ways. The slick reverse flip up-and-in from under the net, the reliable bank shot, the exquisitely timed putback tip-in, the pretty roller off the fingertips, the baby jumper and the easy hook shot will all put two points on the scoreboard. (He doesn't have a three-ball in his quiver.)

Overall, in club and Euroleague play last season, Hernangomez shot 66 percent from the field, so let's not be too picky about how it's done. As Porzingis said, Hernangomez is really good in the low and high post, and he is able to create shots for himself—something KP himself struggled with in the NBA last year.

It's not all sunshine and butterflies, though.

Weaknesses

Hernangomez hardly ever finishes above the rim. When watching game tape, it's hard sometimes to tell if it's because he just can't or just can't be bothered.

When in the low post, he bobs and weaves like a boxer around defenders instead of using his strength to power to the hoop. While this skill is absolutely an asset, all that dodging eats up seconds on the shot clock. Against NBA-level opponents, he'll no doubt need that pump fake he's so fond of, but he also must employ power he appears reluctant to use.

The bigger question mark, though—where Hernangomez exposes his youthful inexperience—is defensively. Despite what Porzingis said about Hernangomez's ability to "hold his defender," there are many examples of him getting burned.

Hernangomez chooses to defend with his hands at times when he should be using his feet and his body—another example, perhaps, of him being uncomfortable using his own strength.

Those hands did achieve 0.6 blocks and 0.4 steals per game, which isn't bad for only 12.1 minutes on the court. However, the Knicks' coaching staff must still drill into him the idea of seeing the ball and knowing his defensive assignments at all times. Plus, if he doesn't start putting more air between his shoes and the floor, those blocks will be fewer and farther between. 

Regardless, Willy should slide into the roster easily and be an asset (until he inevitably hits the rookie-Euro wall hard in the winter). Of course, we'll also get to monitor whether the Porzingis-Hernangomez friendship is truly strong enough to survive the unrelenting bright lights of New York City. 

Complete 2016-17 Stat Predictions

Minutes: 12.0

Points: 5.0

Rebounds: 2.5

Assists: 0.5

Blocks: 0.2

Field-goal percentage: 0.61

Three-point percentage: 0.0

All 2015-16 European stats from Basketball-Reference.com.