Knicks head coach Derek Fisher has got a fever, and the only prescription is more Kristaps.
According to a report by Marc Berman of the New York Post on Monday, Fisher wants prized Latvian rookie Kristaps Porzingis as his starting power forward when the Knicks open up the 2015-16 NBA season.
“We’ll see what happens with Kris, but I like him in there as well,” Fisher said in reference to Porzingis in the starting five. “The good part of all this, we can choose another guy and we’ll be fine, too. That’s what’s different about this team.”
The seven-foot-one Porzingis, who was selected fourth overall by the Knicks last June, is largely seen as a project that might be a couple of years away from making a consistent contribution. But with the team scrambling for answers anywhere they can get them after going 17-65 last season, it looks as though Fisher wants to kick off the Kristaps Era as soon as possible.
While Porzingis, 20, will almost definitely struggle with NBA size and strength early in his NBA career, he impressed in both Summer League and the preseason. His knockdown jump-shooting makes him not only the ideal stretch four today’s that NBA fetishizes, but also the perfect piece in the “be ready to shoot at all times” triangle offense. Porzingis has also showed some surprisingly impressive basketball IQ with facets of the game like boxing out, hunting down loose balls, reacting to plays instinctually, and acute understanding of spacing/positioning. He has been stronger on the glass in the preseason than most people expected as well. With his ability to defend in space and use his length to recover on drives or to rotate from the weakside, Porzingis has the tools, at least on paper, to survive at the four to begin the season.
Should the Porzingis experiment go south early however, Fisher has options, as he alluded to. Newly-signed Derrick Williams has had a stellar preseason, second-year forward Cleanthony Early lurks, and former Magic big man Kyle O’Quinn (though best utilized as an energy defensive big off the bench) is an option as well. Carmelo “Me7o” Anthony is even comfortable with regular minutes as a small-ball 4, particularly as he ages and shifts more to the post.
But the most important takeaway is that Porzingis is a player who needs the right development and the right opportunity in order to succeed and to scratch the ceiling of his immense talents. It’s great to see that Fisher is willing to give that to the Latvian, who is looking to prove himself to all the doubters, as he begins his NBA career.
