5 Reasons Porzingis Is Still a Future Star Despite Down Sophomore Season

To New York Knicks fans: Who has brought you the most tearful smiles, exhilarated cheers and soulful bonding moments with your emotionally distant fathers over the past two years? I've got an inkling it's a tall young man from Latvia you have to thank for that. So take a break from counting ex-Knicks on NBA playoff teams and celebrate Kristaps Porzingis.

No, the 2016-17 season was not as highlight-studded as his rookie year. No, your feeds were not throbbing with videos of rim-rattling, soul-shuddering put-back dunks. True, he spent the entire month of January in foul trouble (ending the season ranked second-highest in personal fouls per game). Of course, he missed 16 entire games.

OK, he still needs teammates to create most of his shots for him (and his unassisted field goals dropped further this year from 32.7 to 25.3 percent). Sure, his plus/minus dropped from the black into the red (from plus-0.2 to minus-1.5). Yes, he was a power forward for a starting lineup that broke many hopeful hearts. 

Don't think twice, though, about buying No. 6 jerseys for your children in a bigger size that they'll grow into. You can feel free to look up in the sky and wish upon a Porzingis. Here are five reasons we know he'll still be a star. 

Swagger

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Who popped up on Marquese Chriss after Chriss threw him to the floor? Who got in Kent Bazemore's face after a foul he didn't like? Who stood up his boss and met with a union leader instead, because he didn't like the way his boss was running things?

Kristaps Porzingis did. He doesn't start a fight, but he might well finish it.

Sure, sure, referees, agents and lawyers might actually end the battle and not always in KP's favor. However, that type of spirit—that confidence without arrogance, that calm defiance—can be contagious. It can inspire a team.

It could even give the Knicks something they have sorely lacked for years: an identity.

Blocking Prowess

Who was the league's fifth-ranked leader in blocks? Who racked up seven rejections against the L.A. Lakers in just one game? Who snatched Spencer Dinwiddie's layup right out of the air and palmed it with one hand in a maneuver nasty enough to be nominated for an NBA "Block of the Year" Award and as embarrassing for Dinwiddie as the things your uncles did to you on the court when you were 12?

That was Kristaps Porzingis. 

Porzingis' defense this year was not above reproach. However, when at his best, he was chasing opponents down and clawing their shots out of the air like a lanky predator or ambushing them at the rim with sneaky, exquisitely timed swats.

The finer points of his defensive game still have to develop (hopefully under the tutelage of proper coaching), but his mobility, length, instincts and performance to date show he is a world-class paint protector in the making. 

Exceptional Footwork

Who tricked superb defender Giannis Antetokounmpo—and countless others—with a dream shake? Who ran all the way from Cape May to blast the Washington Wizards with a light-speed putback dunk Jan. 19 despite having a sore Achilles? Who hounded Kent Bazemore for two blocks in the same play?

That would be KP, too.

Porzingis was hampered by illness and injuries this season, so in some ways, he wasn't as sharp or as dominant as his rookie year. Nevertheless, his post game shows glimmers of graceful Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in the shakes, shimmies, putbacks and full-speed slams in traffic. Compare their highlights and it's hard not to see similarities.

Jump Shot with Infinite Range

Who drilled a looong-range three in the face of Giannis Antetokounmpo directly after blocking him twice in one play? Who was the third-highest scorer among second-year players this season? Who nailed the should-have-been buzzer-beating three over the Charlotte Hornets last season?

That'd be KP.

True, he still has neither become nor positioned himself to be the Knicks' go-to option for the win when the clock is rolling to 0.0. 

Nevertheless, his jumper is supremely B-E-E-F-Y with a lovely arc. He can nail the long ball from Staten Island, hit mid-range shots off the dribble and sink step-back fadeaways with ease. He would be an ideal fit for a pick-and-pop offense, which would truly complete the well-deserved comparison he often receives to legendary stretch 4 shooter Dirk Nowitzki.

The grind of 48 minutes largely happens inside the paint, but buzzer-beaters are nearly always hotly contested jump shots from deep. Porzingis has a pretty one, and that will take him far.

Guard-Like Handles

Who stole the ball from Anthony Davis, raced down the floor and dribbled behind his back to dodge an in-pursuit Jrue Holiday? Who is a 7'3" power forward with his own "top 10 crossovers" reel? Who beat out all the guards to win the 2017 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge?  

You know I'm talking about Kristaps Porzingis.

There are big men who have gorgeous jump shots, there are big men who have elegant post moves, but KP has those plus exceptional handles that he can control when cranking at full speed in transition.

That's ridiculous. And glorious.

OK, so this year was a bit down for Porzingis. We gave him a little heat for it. He deserved that heat. He earned that heat. It's his job to take that heat.

Why? Because he's a star.