SI did a long question and answer (2 pages) with him on Monday. http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/08/nba-draft-prospect-kristaps-porzingis-okafor-towns It was at the Redeye Grill in Manhattan.

Maybe the Zen Master had a little get together in a private room, away from the maddening crowd. Only 2 degrees of separation from Phil, since it sounds like Gaines travelled overseas to see him.

He is working out this Friday.

BY SI WIRE

Posted: Wed Jun. 10, 2015
In his latest mock draft, SI's Chris Mannix projects the New York Knicks to take Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis.

According to Mannix's sources, the Knicks are looking hard at four players with the fourth overall selection: Porzingis, point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, Duke wing Justise Winslow and Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein.

Though the others are widely deemed more NBA-ready, Porzingis 'has earned fans' in the Knicks' front office with his ability to stretch the floor and intriguing offensive skill set. Clarence Gaines, a Knicks advisor close to Phil Jackson, has scouted Porzingis as well.

Porzingis, 19, spent last season in the Spanish ACB League with Sevilla, where he averaged 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game in league play.

On SI Now, Porzingis said he's hopeful the Knicks might select him.

KP: I love how Anthony Davis plays. I have a lot of work to do to get close to his level. I try to learn from him. He’s playing incredible right now. He’s one of the guys I look up to. I would love to play against him. He’s going to be really hard to guard, but I’m really looking forward to playing against him.

WaltLongmire wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:I didn't know Gaines went to see him. Great interview. I liked this quote:

KP: I love how Anthony Davis plays. I have a lot of work to do to get close to his level. I try to learn from him. He’s playing incredible right now. He’s one of the guys I look up to. I would love to play against him. He’s going to be really hard to guard, but I’m really looking forward to playing against him.

I'm assuming he went overseas, since Porzingis has not officially worked out in the U.S. yet. If he did a private workout under the radar with Gaines, that would really be mindblowing, since Porzingis has said he would like to play here.

I read that he practiced under some bridge in Brooklyn the other day.

If you really want conspiracy stuff, this is it, because I don't think anyone in the Knicks organization has ever said a thing about this kid.

This is another thing I posted in a thread the other day. Its on the NBA.com Knicks Draft Central site. Scroll down and look at the polling leader. Have not seen the numbers change, so it might be closed. Very strange- might must be the Latvian Mafia helping out a brother.
http://www.nba.com/knicks/NYKDraft15

Would love to draft him if he shows well in the public workout he is doing, but I have a strange feeling he goes ahead of our turn, and 3 years from now it is another Curry situation.

In the words of JR Smith...."Anotha mans trash is anotha mans treasure"

Looks like Porzingis is legit. The 4th pick is looking like a win win situation for us. Lets see how Phil handles this flexibility. What if the sixers pump this guy up, and still takes Russell....Is Porzingis a legit play at 4? I say why not. He has just as much potential as WCS and Kaminsky in my book....and at 19, you might say he has more potential than a jr and senior out of college.

FistOfOakley wrote:the hype train always brings along a few euro prospects every year...

he's 20... he's not old.. but he's a year older than a lot of the top guys... and he's still raw... his game is ok but at this point you have to throw up good numbers and his was just ok..

jamp wrote:Phil did say the Knicks scouted in Europe, this could be a smoke screen, trying to shake the tree to see if something falls like an Okafor.

Mentioned it a number of times- Porzingis is well known, especially by Minny and Philly.

No smoke screen here.

Gaines is the guy who birddogged Galloway for the Knicks.

CrushAlot wrote:

FistOfOakley wrote:the hype train always brings along a few euro prospects every year...

he's 20... he's not old.. but he's a year older than a lot of the top guys... and he's still raw... his game is ok but at this point you have to throw up good numbers and his was just ok..

He is 19, the same age as Okafor and Towns.

he will turn 20 in Aug...

WaltLongmire wrote:
Don't think it is a hype thing...Gaines is known to have Jackson's ear and is trusted by him.

Has played against good competition, and got the award for being the best young player in Europe.

Teams were willing to take him last year- actually wanted him to remain in the draft.

Everyone in his family played the game, including his mom- he's not a volley ball player who decided to start playing 3 years ago.

Has to get stronger, no doubt, aspects of his game can be improved, but he has some freaky skills for a legit 7 foot kid.

Don't think you can call him raw. If he had played at UConn or Gonzaga you would be thinking a lot differently about him, IMO.

I just look at him and the basic stuff like passing and handling the ball those skills are far far away... rebounding is more physical and those are questions that we have absolutely no idea how it will pan out but his rebounding in europe was less than good...

the guys impact on defense is a bit overstated... he wasn't exactly a shutdown guy in euroope.. his movements are a little stiff which is why ppl say he's a bit raw...

christian wood gets a lot of flak for being raw and he's projected end of the first round and he had about the same year as porzingis in the ncaa but he's actually a better rebounder.... i don't get why one is in the high lotto and the other is tail end of the first round...

chad ford, dx.. everyone has sources and scouts that they get information from and when they see someone with good measurables and a modicum of nba skills... you're gonna get a lot of superlatives attached to them... euros get written profiles about them everywhere trying to unlock the mystery .. and ppl eat it up... EVERY YEAR... i don't know why this happens but maybe it's a cool story for a mysterious man with good measurables to come in and dominate the league... once you leave things to the imagination... it can run wild...

the numbers i like to look at to filter out all that BS.. and what we know is that he's a good shooter... ok on defense... and that's about all the good you can say about him....

if he was the same age as the freshman this year... i'd like him a bit more... probably in the lotto somewhere.. but he has to be graded on the same curve as the sophomores that are coming out.... in that light he's something less than christian wood in my book...

FistOfOakley wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:
He is 19. Okafor and Towns will be 20 before 2016 also.

he was eligible for the draft last year and he'll be 20 before the nba season starts so he's 20 in my book...

Favorite basketball player?

KP: MJ.

Did you have a team growing up that you rooted for?

KP: I loved the Lakers in '09 and 2010. I used to get up early with my brother Janis and we watched them win the titles. It was just because of Kobe and Pau. The Celtics, the Magic with Dwight Howard, they were good. They were good for sure. But Kobe and Pau? That was my team.

Do you tune in to NBA games regularly, like log on to your computer at 4 a.m. to watch a live stream?

KP: Yea, sure. I ordered the Canal Plus, so I can watch the playoffs because they show almost every game. I had a little different routine: I went to bed later so I could watch the games and I got up a little later since we didn’t have practice in the morning.

So who do you have in the Finals?

KP: Cleveland in 7.

That would be on the road in Golden State—

KP: That’s how it’s going to go. I think LeBron’s going to do it all. If the guys play the same way they did in the conference finals, I think Cleveland is going to win.

Is there anything you’ve learned about the NBA from watching the playoffs?

KP: Sure, man. Everything changes when it’s the playoffs. The regular season, you know, guys play, but in the playoffs it’s a different story. Guys play so hard, they hustle for every ball. Guys get injured more. It’s playoff basketball. I love the fighting. I love the contact. I love how the refs let them play. It’s more physical. It’s fun.

You definitely seem like a guy who wants to be challenged and compete against the best.

KP: Sure, I want to compete against those guys. It’s the best league in the world, I want to compete against the best players in the world. I’m very excited to be a part of it.

Did you watch any college basketball this season?

KP: I got a chance to watch a little of Wisconsin, a little bit of Gonzaga because Sabonis played there and I wanted to see that guy play in college, but not too much. I just watched the highlights of the guys who are in the draft, too, but I didn’t get to watch a lot of full games.

Who’s the most impressive guy in the draft that you’ve seen tape on?

KP: I didn’t really see that much but I like Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s a great athlete, huge body, he’s a great player.

​Some draft experts say if you played college basketball, you’d be in the conversation with Towns and Jahlil Okafor for the No. 1 overall pick. How much do you know about their games to compare yourself to those two guys?

KP: It’s hard to compare because we play different leagues, ACB and college, so it’s hard to compare. But, I think they’re great players. I can’t really say who’s better or not.

Is it an advantage for you having played against a lot of grown men professionally for a few years?

KP: Sure. I mean, I’ve been playing professionally for two and a half years. I think it’s going to be an advantage for me. I’ve learned from a lot of professionals from Europe, great professionals and not only what they do on the court, but off the court and other routines to keep themselves ready, prepared for the games.

What NBA player would you compare yourself to?

KP: I love how Anthony Davis plays. I have a lot of work to do to get close to his level. I try to learn from him. He’s playing incredible right now. He’s one of the guys I look up to. I would love to play against him. He’s going to be really hard to guard, but I’m really looking forward to playing against him.

You talked about your brother, Janis. One thing I don’t think a lot of people know about his how special a relationship you guys share. How important has he been in your life?

KP: He’s very special. He’s my mentor on and off the court. We watch a lot of tape together. Whatever happens outside of basketball he gives me advice, he’ll be there to support me in whatever I need.

What do you remember of his own playing career?

KP: It was tough for him, actually. He had a tough, tough road to become a professional. He’s one of the hardest working people in the world. He does everything 100 percent. It took a lot of work to actually get to a certain level where he was a professional and he made money. That’s very good for me because he’s gone through those tough moments and he’s had a tough career and when I have a tough moment, he’s there to help me and give me advice because he’s already been through that. He’s an unbelievable person. He’s so disciplined. He helps me understand what I have to do to get to where I need to be.

Which one of your skills do you think will translate the best to the NBA right away?

KP: First of all, I think a lot of guys are worried that Europeans might not have the heart and the passion about the game—but that’s the first thing that I have. I love the game, I’m a student of the game, it’s important if you want to have a long, successful career in the NBA. As far as my skills, I’m a really tall guy who can shoot, who can stretch the floor, who can drive, who has a face-up post game. I would say my shot is one of my best skills.

People have speculated what position you’ll be best at in the NBA. But where are you most comfortable on the floor?

KP: My favorite position? I’d have to say four man.

On the court, what’s been your biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

KP: When I was 15 I had anemia. I had problems with low iron in my blood. I just couldn’t run. I would run for two minutes and I’d be dead tired. I didn’t sweat at all. That was one of the toughest things. I was only 15 and I didn’t know what the problem was until they fixed it. Then I started feeling better physically and after that I could actually play on the court and that’s when things got easier. A lady who worked for the first team at that point, the ACB team, she said we should try to do a blood test. That’s when they found the really low iron levels in my blood and I was feeling so sleepy all day and it was terrible. Thanks to her we fixed the problem and I could start playing at a better level.

What are you most looking forward to about this whole process?

KP: I’m excited for everything. The media, just getting my name out there, letting people get to know me, and showing the GMs and scouts my skills at our pro day. I’m very excited. And then, of course, my family is going to come for the draft. We’re going to be all together, it’s going to be a big event.

Are you the kind of guy that if you end up going, let’s say No. 8, you’re going to keep tabs on the guys that went 1-7 and that’ll push you and motivate you?
KP: No, it doesn’t matter. I have to prove myself whatever pick I get drafted. I have to show the people I’m not soft, I’m not the stereotype, whatever people think about Europeans.

You’ve mentioned the stereotype of being soft several times. Is that the number one thing you want to disprove about your scouting report?

KP: I don’t want people to label me as soft because I’m not. That’s the number one thing that comes to my mind right now, for sure. There are a million different opinions of people comparing me to some Europeans that didn’t do well in the NBA and some Europeans that did do well in the NBA. People have a lot of opinions, but I just have to keep working, stay focused.

What do you have to work on the most on the court?

KP: I just have to keep working on all my skills. I don’t do anything perfect. I have to work on my shot, dribbling, post moves. My biggest weakness? I have to get better in the low post, you know? I’m not a low post guy, I’m not a banger inside. I’m more of a face-up guy. It would be good to learn some low post moves, some counter moves. I need to get stronger obviously. I’ve got a lot of work to put in.

Do you want to play with your back to the basket at some point? Some people have you projected strictly as a perimeter-oriented guy.

KP: Absolutely. If in the future, when I get stronger, they see me as a five, I could play the five, play in the low post. I’m a versatile player so I want to be able to play multiple positions.

How much more weight do you think you could realistically put on in muscle?

KP: I mean, 240, 250, maybe. I feel great. Maybe I can even be 260 one day, you know? I have to see if can put on that weight and still be as fast as I am now, and as athletic as I am.

How much do you weigh now?

KP: 105 kilos, what’s that? [Laughs]. No, that’s about 230.

What’s been your best memory on the court so far throughout your career?

KP: It has to be last season when we made it to the playoffs with the winning basket from Marcus Landry, Carl Landry’s brother. Scott Bamforth shot a three, we were tied at that point. Everybody’s like “Awww!” And then he got the rebound and dunked over somebody on a tip dunk to win the game. We made it to playoffs and everybody went crazy.