Comparing him to another somewhat slender C Lucas Nogueira from Toronto he did not walk away from SL unscathed. Porzingis was VERY underwhelming in the rebounding dept and he only showed small improvement in his play making abilities from overseas. I brought up Noqueira specifically because Im not one to make excuses(Porzingis is to weak to skinny etc)--you are what you are and that helps you to improve your game if we stay away from them(excuses) and look at things clearly. Also he shot well inside but did not shoot well from deep--he as credited for only 3 3's yesterday but he really took 4 which wouldve left him 1-6. I dont think his release was anything to write hom eover--shot it with no arc and most of the shots were not good one's to begin with

The Knicks really need to classify him as a 5-4 as in C or post power forward. Its in his and the Knicks best interests. Once we say this we can go about training him the next 5 months the right way. Instead of watching film on Dirk etc. Id like him to watch how Kevin Mchale played the game--how Yao Ming Patrick Ewing played How Pau Gasol plays. Were going to play 2 big so he wont need to carry the load so to speak. He can give us a true post scoring threat--and we really do not have that right now. We have more defensive minded bigs in Lopez and KO but this team also needs to score. Im going to assume in the next 5 months KP will gain suitable power to hold post positioning.

He needs to really learn post footwork--that is mission #1. What to do with the ball once its received. Yo7u want to see improvement in his playmaking ability--if the post is covered hard to be able to find an open cutter or shooter. If the post is good to go--to have the ability to turn either way on his defender the soft 8 -10 foot fadeaway along the baseline and the up and under move. You learn the basics of those 4-5 moves and thats all you need.

Rebounding the ball seems to be a process for him when it should just be an automatic. Position box and grab position box and grab two hands . His base is wide his balance is poor--this is where I saw some flaw in his rebounding and this can be corrected over the next 5 months.

His three point shot--it needs to be shut down unless hes a trailer on a play. Its a TERRIBLE play for him. It has ZERO logic unless hes a trailer and its set up perfect. We want KP to go in and grab good post positioning to help OTHERS create space. He is going to be our offensive post threat. The ball goes outside inside to him where he can make a play or find an open man. The better he gets in the post--the more space shooters and cutters have. Playing him AWAY from the basket is fatal error. He is NOT fast enough or agile enough to be anything but a post player and for goodness sakes lets use our 7-3 guy who can jump a bit the way hes intended to be used--inside. he may have some trouble year 1--so be it I dont care. The LAST thing we want his him sitting at the 3 point line--we do NOT want that.

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It's gonna start with getting his body stronger. I believe that once he feels stronger and that he can fight on equal terms physically then he'll be more effective at rebounding and just about everything else he wants to do in the game, including post up. He clearly will be setup to get on a conditioning and Diet program over the next few months to prepare for Training Camp. It's going to be interesting to see how much progress he can make.

He actually showed himself to be a capable passer. Once he gains his man strength through weightlifting (They said he had NEVER lifted overseas!)and simple maturity and can hold his own in the post his passing will be featured more.

Are you actually watching the same games I've been watching? On the defensive end he already boxes out as well as any big man we've had in recent years. There were a number of rebounds that were picked up after they had hit the floor...always a sign of good boxing out. Do I want him to be more aggressive on the boards...yup, but he understands the fundamentals of the games as well or better than any big from this draft.

When he gets stronger he will be even better on the defensive end, and will begin to pick up more offensive rebounds.

I'm with you on the post-up and mid-range game. Watch McHale, Duncan, Bill Walton, and Alcindor/Jabbar. If he has a good hook shot from full extension, there won't be a player in the league who can block it.

Kind of funny, but what the analytics people around here seem to be myopic about is the idea that a single player with a good game in the post can open up all those 3 point shots they are so enamored with, especially if the post up player can pass the ball, too.

You can open up the interior with spacing and 3 point shots, or you can create spacing with a good post-up player who demands a double team.

Six of one, half dozen of the other...you reach the same point either way.

His footwork will develop. He has surprisingly nimble feet for a guy his size...just a matter of practice. You got a small idea of his quickness on the steal and dunk, and you expect that he will be able to this type of thing in the post with his quickness and length. If he has feet like these on the defensive end, there is no reason why his ability can't be applied to the offensive end.

We got a good kid and an excellent player, who has as good of a foundation of physical tools, mental toughness, and basket ball skills as any to player in the draft. It will be fun to watch him grow.

Season    Age  Tm  Lg Pos    G   GS   MP  FG  FGA  FG%  3P 3PA  3P%  2P  2PA  2P% eFG%  FT FTA  FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV  PF  PTS
1998-99    20 XYZ NBA  PF   47   24 20.4 2.9  7.1 .405 0.3 1.4 .206 2.6  5.7 .455 .426 2.1 2.7 .773 0.9 2.6 3.4 1.0 0.6 0.6 1.6 2.2  8.2

If our kid can even come close to this guy's career trajectory, man oh man!!

mreinman wrote:I say that we should turn KP into Hasheem Thabeet so that he can be a D-League superstar.

I say we just make him stand at centre court for the entire game- just get him to focus on winning the jump ball

Finestrg wrote:Very good post. I agree--there are some legit concerns here. Good prospect, glad we got him on board and I'm willing to wait for him to mature, get stronger, gather experience, etc. Still, he's a pretty big project though, bigger than I thought. My main concerns other than getting stronger and learning the NBA game:

(1) Needs to show us what he is, what his game is. There's a bit of an identity crisis here. Where does he operate best on the floor--low post, high post, mid-range, 3-pt line, where? I understand he can do all of those things but where is he at his best? The answer seems to be "we don't know yet" or "we'll have to see" which indicates he's a bigger project than I thought. If he's a post player, I don't care if he's getting pushed around right now a little--I expect that to be the case, until he gains more strength--but show me some semblance of a post game. If his strength is from mid-range, show me that. If he's a 3-pt shooter, aggressively look for that shot more, etc. I see a lack of identity. What is he? I expected to have a little clearly idea at this point and I really don't.

(2) Concerned that he didn't distinguish himself better from the so-so talent around him on the SL team and against other teams' SL talent. How will he mesh with the much better players in the rotation and against much better competition when the bell rings for real? As of right now until he really steps his game up, I don't see him having a big impact playing with Melo, etc. I also don't think Melo will have patience with this guy -- Melo's just not a leader, a mentor, a good enough teammate, etc.. KP had some good moments in SL highlighted by his 3 block performance against Okafor (would've been nice to see him look to score the ball on Okafor a little more at the other end too) but he also was going through the motions quite a bit out there having minimal impact. A guy getting lost in the shuffle isn't exactly what you wanna see from the 4th pick in the draft. Would've liked to see him demand the ball more and show us where his sweet spots are.

(3) The rebounding is a legit concern -- I like his competitiveness but the results weren't there on the glass for a guy over 7'. Again, I know he'll get stronger and that'll help, but does he have a good enough nose for the ball? And his hands don't look good at all. Needs some stickem...Had quite a few balls go in and out of his hands. Quite a few times he was there in position and couldn't corral/secure the ball. I wonder if his hands are on the small side for someone that big. I know hand length/size is an official measurement now -- how do KP's hands stack up to other bigs close to his size? Plays like he has small hands..

Answer this question truthfully -- if he wasn't the 4th pick in the draft and he was just some unknown Euro. we brought in for a look, would we still be looking at him the same way, clinging on to every good play he makes? Or would we be like, OK, this big Latvian dude look like he's got some size and skills, let's bring him to TC and see if he can stick--we do need a backup C? There's a big difference.. I actually think if he was an unknown like Ndour and there was only one spot left with those two vying for it, based on what we saw from both players in SL, a lot of people would choose to go with Ndour. Again, not what you would expect outta the 4th pick in the draft.

Don't mean to be overly critical but this is just what I see. Nobody on this board will be rooting for this kid to succeed more than me, I just hope he can answer some of these questions for us at some point.

They played him out of position at 5 in SL.

He'll play at 4 where he won't have to bang with humongous guys like Okafor.

ChuckBuck wrote:

Finestrg wrote:Very good post. I agree--there are some legit concerns here. Good prospect, glad we got him on board and I'm willing to wait for him to mature, get stronger, gather experience, etc. Still, he's a pretty big project though, bigger than I thought. My main concerns other than getting stronger and learning the NBA game:

(1) Needs to show us what he is, what his game is. There's a bit of an identity crisis here. Where does he operate best on the floor--low post, high post, mid-range, 3-pt line, where? I understand he can do all of those things but where is he at his best? The answer seems to be "we don't know yet" or "we'll have to see" which indicates he's a bigger project than I thought. If he's a post player, I don't care if he's getting pushed around right now a little--I expect that to be the case, until he gains more strength--but show me some semblance of a post game. If his strength is from mid-range, show me that. If he's a 3-pt shooter, aggressively look for that shot more, etc. I see a lack of identity. What is he? I expected to have a little clearly idea at this point and I really don't.

(2) Concerned that he didn't distinguish himself better from the so-so talent around him on the SL team and against other teams' SL talent. How will he mesh with the much better players in the rotation and against much better competition when the bell rings for real? As of right now until he really steps his game up, I don't see him having a big impact playing with Melo, etc. I also don't think Melo will have patience with this guy -- Melo's just not a leader, a mentor, a good enough teammate, etc.. KP had some good moments in SL highlighted by his 3 block performance against Okafor (would've been nice to see him look to score the ball on Okafor a little more at the other end too) but he also was going through the motions quite a bit out there having minimal impact. A guy getting lost in the shuffle isn't exactly what you wanna see from the 4th pick in the draft. Would've liked to see him demand the ball more and show us where his sweet spots are.

(3) The rebounding is a legit concern -- I like his competitiveness but the results weren't there on the glass for a guy over 7'. Again, I know he'll get stronger and that'll help, but does he have a good enough nose for the ball? And his hands don't look good at all. Needs some stickem...Had quite a few balls go in and out of his hands. Quite a few times he was there in position and couldn't corral/secure the ball. I wonder if his hands are on the small side for someone that big. I know hand length/size is an official measurement now -- how do KP's hands stack up to other bigs close to his size? Plays like he has small hands..

Answer this question truthfully -- if he wasn't the 4th pick in the draft and he was just some unknown Euro. we brought in for a look, would we still be looking at him the same way, clinging on to every good play he makes? Or would we be like, OK, this big Latvian dude look like he's got some size and skills, let's bring him to TC and see if he can stick--we do need a backup C? There's a big difference.. I actually think if he was an unknown like Ndour and there was only one spot left with those two vying for it, based on what we saw from both players in SL, a lot of people would choose to go with Ndour. Again, not what you would expect outta the 4th pick in the draft.

Don't mean to be overly critical but this is just what I see. Nobody on this board will be rooting for this kid to succeed more than me, I just hope he can answer some of these questions for us at some point.

They played him out of position at 5 in SL.

He'll play at 4 where he won't have to bang with humongous guys like Okafor.

I agree.....he should be playing the 4 position, until he develops physically with age. If he was from the US, he would've learned how to us that skinny body to bang and impact the game. But you don't learn that in pickup games growing up as a Euro player.

But I think they are trying to decide if he a backup center or a starting PF. Or is DWill the starting PF? maybe Melo?

I think KP's long term position might be center....I just don't know about putting him against todays NBA centers. But, if he can bring Dwight Howard and D.Jordan out of the paint, then it's a win for us on offense. And Melo should have a great season, leading the league in points.

ESOMKnicks wrote:I see KP as a Marcus Camby with a jump shot. And Camby became a good rebounder despite being rail thin. So it is all about focus, boxing out and timing, not muscle. KP needs to get strong enough to protect himself better against injuries, that's all, I don't think he will ever be a banger, nor does he need to. I really see no point in making him change his offensive skill set and playing style completely and become mainly a low post guy. Why can't he play like Dirk, a bit away from the basket on offense?

I like the comparison to Camby, alot.

I'd agree about him needing to operate away from the basket.

He is a real young 19- he's not as physically matured as other 19 year olds might be, and this is a good thing as he will probably remain effective long into his 30's like Dirk & Camby.

If this were more like baseball, he would be sent to the NBDL and we wouldn't see him for 2 years.

I'm hoping he plays every game (unless hurt) and gets at least 15-20 mins every night.