Kristaps Porzingis has been the light at the end of the tunnel for the struggling Knicks these last few years.
The hype around his name has grown, and he is looking like the next star to wear a Knicks uniform. His potential is through the roof, and he has improved in his two NBA seasons so far. Although the Knicks future looks bright on the shoulders of the 7’3″ Latvian, nobody is perfect, and Porzingis still has to improve on several aspects of his game.
Firstly, he has to improve on his fouling problems. Last season, he was second in fouls per game, behind only the infamously emotional Demarcus Cousins, with 3.7. He has to control himself, especially in the final minutes of a game. He barely makes it through the fourth quarter without fouling out sometimes. You could say his insanely long arms make his fouls more noticeable, but that is no excuse for being behind only Demarcus Cousins in fouls per game.
Secondly, he has to toughen up and grab more rebounds. He may not have the strength to battle with the big men of the NBA yet, but six rebounds per game is not enough for a 7’3″ power forward. His size and length should allow him to grab more than six rebounds, which is less than 6’8″ Carmelo Anthony’s seven rebounds per game.
Thirdly, as most people could agree on, Porzingis needs to improve his strength. He has the athleticism, the quickness, the length, the jumper, the post game, but he does not yet have the strength required for an NBA power forward or center. At 230 pounds, he is light for a power forward. While he can only improve in this aspect, he must be careful not to gain too much weight so he can maintain his quickness and versatility.
Porzingis will continue to improve in these upcoming seasons and will no doubt turn into a great NBA player. His work ethic is evident, and it shows he is willing to get better.
It’s exciting to be able to look into the future as Knicks fans and seeing Porzingis at the helm of it — maybe one day holding an NBA championship trophy.
