A highlight of the young 2015-16 NBA season has been the play of rookie Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks. The 7-foot-3 center was greatly maligned during the 2015 NBA Draft by fans, but has turned out to be a sensation, nailing deep three-balls and throwing down some monster jams. But how good is he, and does his play project well moving forward? Here, I will make the case for why he's well on his way to becoming an All-Star one day soon.
Personally, I think the eye test is a good starting place. Let's take a look at a few highlights.
As you can see here, Porzingis has the ability to contest all types of shots around the rim. His length is a considerable factor, and his athleticism and coordination plays to that. He was able to block a dunk attempt by Andrew Wiggins in transition without fouling -- there aren't too many players physically capable of doing that in the NBA.
Here, I'm showcasing his range. Suffice to say, he's the tallest player in the Association who can come down the floor and spot up five feet off of the three-point line and nail a three nonchalantly. On the year, Porzingis is hitting at a .338 clip from beyond the arc, which is excellent.
Finally, just look at his array of moves. Yes, this was one of his best games this season, but he showed off what he can do when he's hot. He can catch-and-shoot, dribble-drive, hit layups under the rim in traffic, hit that three-ball, sink a turnaround from a postup and pretty much anything you'd want from a player offensively. Porzingis' consistency offensively isn't as high as that of a comparable player like Dirk Nowitzki, but he undoubtedly has the ability to do all of those things, and he's only 20 years old.
While all of that film was of some of his best moments, he's shown flashes of it in almost every game, and has had a major impact in nearly every game he's played.
Out of 46 starts this year, he's scored under 10 points in only eight of those contests. The Latvian native is averaging 14.0 point per game. While he's only shooting 42.6 percent from the field, you have to consider that he takes 3.2 three-pointers per games. Factoring that in, he's shooting about 45 percent from inside the arc, and his true shooting percentage is 52.3; that puts him in the same range as players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol, among others, this season.
As well, among rookies, he's easily been a top-three player -- up there with Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. Currently, he ranks third in points (14.0), first in free-throw percentage (85.4), second in rebounds (7.8) and first in blocks (1.96).
Porzingis also has some solid advanced stats as well. His PER is up at 18.5, offensive win shares 1.3 and defensive win shares 1.9. That's especially impressive considering he averages under 30 minutes per game, as the Knicks have been easing him and trying to keep the pressure off during his rookie campaign.
When you factor in all of the numbers, measurables and simply how he looks while on the floor -- athleticism, instincts, basketball I.Q. -- how you can come to any conclusion other than that he's an excellent 20-year-old basketball player with tons of potential simply seems illogical. The hype surrounding him early in the year because of the high-flying dunks and impressive performances may have mired the picture, giving some the idea that he was already playing at an elite level (the media is prone to reactions involving anything New York). But that doesn't mean he hasn't been impressive and an exceptionally above-average rookie.
The young Knick has a bright future, and within the next few years, I project him as a perennial All-Star, capable of averaging somewhere around 20-22 points, 10-12 boards and 2-3 blocks per game year in and year out.
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