NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks in action against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden on November 3, 2017 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Suns 120-107. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Kristaps Porzingis is one of the few things Phil Jackson did right with the New York Knicks, and boy did he get that pick right. KP is having a ridiculous start to the 2017-18 season and has New York buzzing for the future of the franchise.
The combination of trading Carmelo Anthony, allowing Porzingis to be the focal point of the offense, and the play of 2017 1st round pick Frank Ntilikina has the Knicks at 6-4 and including a surprising win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Porzingis set a franchise record for the Knicks by becoming the first player to score more than 300 points in the first 10 games of the season.
What’s got New York buzzing even more is the last two wins saw them overcome double digit deficits late in the game. They came back from 19 down against the Indiana Pacers the other night, and last night they were down by 11 to start the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets. Porzingis is proving to have a clutch gene and he put the Knicks on his back with two huge shots in the final two minutes. The nail in the coffin you can see above, but he also hit the below shot to break a tie.
I don’t know how you stop a guy who is 7-foot-3, can move and dribble like few big men can and has range to the parking lot. Let’s hope he can avoid injuries like some lanky big men can’t and has a long and lustrous NBA career.
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