NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Rookie Kristaps Porzingis Learning Where To Play

NBA rumors have been swirling around Kristaps Porzingis. Since he started struggling towards the middle of his rookie season after an outstanding beginning, many started wondering if he has what it takes to be a star in the National Basketball Association. Many are forgetting that this is the first year that Porzingis has played at this level. There’s much to learn. According to the New York Post, Porzingis is starting to learn where on the basketball court he should be playing.

Since he’s such an excellent shooter from beyond the three-point line, Kristaps Porzingis can make a pretty decent living in the NBA as a spot-up shooter. The Latvian rookie is a lot more ambitious than that. Porzingis wants to be a star in the National Basketball Association. That’s why he left his home, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, and joined the New York Knicks, a franchise that desperately needs more star power.

In order to become a superstar in the NBA, Kristaps Porzingis will need to do more than just shoot from the three-point line. He needs to use his versatility to be able to exploit defenders from all parts of a basketball court. Porzingis needs to learn to score inside the three-point line, especially from the low post area. The 7’3?, 240-pound forward needs to become someone that is a nightmare match-up in the National Basketball Association.

There are those within the New York Knicks organization that believe that Kristaps Porzingis will eventually become their starting center. That’s where they feel that he would do the most damage in the NBA. Plus, with the league shifting over to smaller lineups, thanks in large part because the Golden State Warriors have grown to be so dominant by letting go of traditional lineups, Porzingis has the size to play the center position.

To be a truly effective center in the NBA, Kristaps Porzingis is going to need to learn how to score from the low post with his back to the basket. Right now, he has shown some tremendous instincts scoring from down there, but he’s doing that by pulling down offensive rebounds and sneaking through the lanes because defenses are focused on the perimeter players. With his height, Porzingis could prove to be impossible to defend if he can develop a fadeaway jumper like the one that New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing used to utilize.

If Kristaps Porzingis can develop into a consistent low post scoring threat, then he opens up the perimeter for the New York Knicks. NBA teams will be forced to send a second defender into the paint. If Porzingis can improve his already quality court vision, then he can rack up the assists by tossing the ball to open perimeter shooters.

Of course, Kristaps Porzingis should relegate himself to solely being a low post scorer. That would take away from his strengths of being versatile. Every once in a while, Porzingis can step back out to the perimeter so that someone like Robin Lopez can be utilized in the low post. That makes the New York Knicks much tougher to defend. It would also open things up quite a bit for Carmelo Anthony to dominate the other side of the basketball court.

In a couple of weeks, Kristaps Porzingis will have a full NBA season underneath his belt. After the summer is over, he will have another full training camp. There are talks that Porzingis might even play in the NBA Summer League. All that experience and his continued dedication to the game of basketball will make Porzingis a much better player.