Welcome to New York City!
Kristaps Porzingis was showered with boos upon being selected by the New York Knicks with the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday night. One kid, and one of many miserable Knicks' fans, even lit up social media by taking a selfie of himself crying seconds after the Knicks' selection.
But before fellow Knicks' fans shed tears about the franchise rolling the dice on Porzingis over Duke's seemingly-more NBA-ready swingman, Justise Winslow, here's some things you need to know about the power forward from Latvia.
1. He's 7-1 And Only 19-Years-Old
Kristaps Porzingis is young...like not even 20-years-old-yet young. Add that to the fact that he's Latvian, playing in America for the first time in his young career and life, and the power wiry power forward has plenty to adjust to.
2. He's Admittedly A Project
Having never played in the United States, Porzingis and the Knicks alike admittedly say that the 7-1 power forward is a project, one who could be two to three years away from hitting his stride and possibly—not to mention hopefully—five seasons away from becoming a bonafide star in the NBA. "The risk is great but the reward is great, too," Knicks president Phil Jackson told ESPN about the team's draft pick, adding that fans should be patient with Porzingis. Try telling that to Carmelo Anthony, who's 31 and ready to win now. It's hard to preach patience, when grieving Knicks' fans just endured the worst season in the franchise's history. The bright spot is Porzingis knows all too well about the stigma of foreign players being too soft and is ready to prove the stereotype wrong in New York.
3. Played In The Spanish League Last Season
Playing for Cajasol Seville of the Spanish League during the 2014-15 season, Porzingis averaged 10.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and one block in 33 games. He also averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16 Eurocup games. So, the talent is there.
4. Drawing Comparisons To Dirk Nowitzki And Pau Gasol
Phil Jackson has said that Porzingis reminds him of fellow power forward Pau Gasol, who he coached on the Los Angeles Lakers. Others have said that Porzingis reminds them of Dirk Nowitzki. At 7-1, Porzingis has flashed the ability to put the ball on the floor and shoot, even from three-point range, with an excellent touch. But back to that project point, Porzingis has ways to go before getting to that point. He's also suspect on defense and could improve in that area.
5. He Gets His Sense Of American Culture From WorldStarHipHop.com
I told Kristaps Porzingis this week that I heard he went on WorldStar every day. Zinger's response: "Not every day."
— Ben Cohen (@bzcohen) June 26, 2015
This is what Wall Street Journal sports reporter Ben Cohen came away with, speaking with Porzingis on Thursday night. For those unaware, WorldStarHipHop.com is the one-stop shop for Internet users to see everything from street fights to sports highlights and of course, hip-hop. So, one could take away that Kristaps is hip with the times.
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