NEW YORK – Kristaps Porzingis cuts into his first filet mignon at a Manhattan steakhouse, a teenager hours after his arrival to the United States. He is 7-foot-1 with Dirk’s shooting touch and Pau’s athleticism, a European prodigy blessed with fluent English and the threat of transcendent talent.

Every day, front-office fascinations rise with Porzingis. Every day, he’s moving himself closer into contention to become one of the top three picks in the NBA draft on June 25. Los Angeles Lakers officials conducted a workout of Porzingis on Monday night at the franchise’s El Segundo, Calif., practice facility, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Suddenly, Porzingis is pursuing the Lakers’ pick at No. 2, along with spectacular Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor. Suddenly, Porzingis is changing this NBA draft.

Out of Latvia and the Spanish ACB League, Porzingis peels away the mystery with a determined disposition and an earnest, natural curiosity. Ask him about the most appealing part of what awaits him in the NBA – the luxuries of a lifestyle that come with the stature of a lofty lottery pick – and you’ll get the longings of a 19-year-old European gym rat.

“The biggest thing for me – the thing that I think most about – is that you can get into the gym whenever you want here,” Porzingis told Yahoo Sports over dinner recently. “They give you a card, or a key, and in the middle of the night, if you want to work out, you just go to the gym and get your work in – and I think that’s amazing.

“In Europe, you don’t have that option. You can’t get your work in on a Sunday, because nobody is there. I think that’s one of the coolest things. This year, I didn’t have a place to play. I’ve got to talk to the GM, to talk one of the people who work in the arena to open the door for me. People don’t want to do extra work at the arena.”

So Porzingis laid awake in his bedroom in Sevilla, Spain, and thought to himself, “'When I’m sleeping, someone else is working out.' I’d think that I better get in my work the next day, because I’m already behind.”

Among the NBA executives who’ve spent the time to research Porzingis – some made five trips to scout him this season and made trips a year ago too – they’ve come to understand how deeply he cares about growing his game, his talents.

Porzingis has an innate awareness about the way the American public sees a young, long European teenager. He comes to the NBA with the full understanding that popular basketball culture declares him guilty until proven innocent of the basketball crimes of Darko Milicic and Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Andrea Bargnani. He’s considered a stiff, a bust, a blown lottery pick until he doesn't become one.

“I don’t like being labeled soft,” Porzingis told Yahoo Sports. “I’m very hungry. I love the game. I’ve got to prove to coaches and GMs that I’m not soft just because I’m from Europe. They need to see that I’m not just some skinny white guy, that I’m going to be there fighting. They’ll need to see that I’m a worker who’s going to play hard, and play tough …

“There are guys who have had incredible NBA careers – like Dirk [Nowitzki] and the Gasols [Pau and Marc] – and there are guys who haven’t. They’ll say, this guy is a bust. He’ll be Tskitishvili, this Georgian guy. Bargnani, Darko … That’s why I am talking, because I want the fear to go away with me. I want people to get to know me. I don’t want to be the mystery man from Europe.

“Some fans – they don’t want a European on their team. People have opinions, but maybe they’ve never seen me play. There’s nothing I can say, only I can go out and prove myself.”

Around the NBA, they see him differently. He’s been drilled in the fundamentals; those endless arms end with flicks of the wrists that deliver made shot after made shot. In his house, the son of a mother and father with playing backgrounds – and the younger brother of a 10-year Euro pro – Kristaps nourished himself on hours and hours of 7-footer video.

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.Kristaps Porzingis was given the Eurocup Rising Star Award in April 2015. (Getty)
Kristaps Porzingis was given the Eurocup Rising Star Award in April 2015. (Getty)
Kevin Garnett: “I love his face-up game. He’s got that mid-range shot. I’ve seen a lot of tape where he plays against guys like Shaq [O’Neal], a guy he can’t bang inside with. So faces up, does his little step-back move … Amazing.”

LaMarcus Aldridge: “That step-back he has, how he uses his body to get a little contact – he’s a master. He steps back to get the distance, to get his shot off.”

Anthony Davis: “When he gets the ball, he’s already making his move. He’s so aggressive going to the basket, getting fouled. And he’s extending his range.”

For now, there are so many respected NBA executives who long to get into position to draft Porzingis. One former NBA Executive of the Year, who won’t have the chance to move up to get him, told Yahoo Sports. “If the draft was one year from now, I think Porzingis goes No. 1. He’s just not fully formed yet and that’s getting in the way of people’s decisions. But one more year, and I think it would be him and then [Karl-Anthony Towns, Russell and Okafor].”

In fact, it seems every front office has one high-ranking official, and sometimes more, who’ll tell you Porzingis could be the most talented player in the draft. Most agree it would take tremendous courage to choose him No. 1 overall – courage most of them don’t pretend to possess. “If Karl Towns doesn’t turn out, you could survive that,” one GM in the lottery’s top seven tells Yahoo Sports. “If Porzingis is a bust, you’re probably getting canned.”

For now, Porzingis trusts this indisputable truth: This matters to him. The work, the craft, he’s chasing everything here. One of these nights, they’re going to see the light on, hear the bounce of the ball, and they’ll come to understand that he’s different, that he’s his own basketball story.

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blkexec wrote:

Moonangie wrote:

blkexec wrote:

anrst wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

anrst wrote:i drain shots all day in my backyard. absolutely drain them. but when i play for my work team im lucky to score double figures in a game.

Im sure you're also 19 years old 7-1 220 with a 7-6 wingspan and a 37 inch vertical and while the C on your team resembles George Constanza he is actually playing against other high quality 7 footers.

ha. true. i'm just saying, while i was also enamored with the video when it surfaced earlier in the week, i couldn't help but think this weekend as i was dominating my game of 1 on zero how dicieving it can be.

not an original thought, i know.

You know whats funny...In my prime, if you watched me shoot around....during my 1-0 defensive shooting drills, you would think I'm not a good shooter. But when the games start, I would hit like 4 straight jumpers.....It's something about game time and defense that actually makes me play better.

On the flip side....I've seen guys drain all kinds of jumpers, during warmups....Then when I'm picking teams, I pick this dude up.....Im like he can really shoot. He turns out to be the worst player I could've selected. It's very hard to judge a players impact on a basketball game based on his shooting drills.

Now at 40 plus, if you see me draining jumpers in shooting drills.....You better pick me up, because I will hit just about any open shot I get. But everybody is different. I still shoot better when somebody is guarding me, than if I was wide open. Makes you concentrate more.

So with that said, I had to search and find some real time games where Porzingis was playing in. He's not the same player you see in those video's......Could be why he only did one workout video. Might be a way to increase his draft stock. He has the tools to be a great player.....He's also has the greatest bust potential. Basketball is mostly mental, filled with confidence. If he comes in and realizes the league is more physical than he thought, and starts to lose confidence, his career will fall fast. Thats what happens to most of the Euro guys that come over. High risk....Extremely high reward. I'm ok with him at 4, because of his up side. But he still has the same down side as a bust.

I agree about improved shooting during game time, but I don't believe it's just improved concentration. If anything, it's that you have less time, so instead of aiming your shot, or "trying" to get it in the hoop, you rely on your natural coordination and just trust your shooting instincts.

Thats a good point....Like I tell me son, I don't care if you miss it......Just make sure you have that goose neck......

But I watched a draft express scouting video of kaminsky.....wasn't too impressed....Then I watched Porzingis draft express video right after, and for some reason, Kaminsky made me like Porzingis a little more.....This guy has the total package on offense. And the agility on defense. His only negative is his lack of strength.

But what good about his skill set, is that he can be a stretch 4 until his frame fills out. So right now, he's an agile Steve Novak....Who will grow into an unstoppable offensive 2 way player. What he has naturally on offense is what some players will never have in their entire career. He has the passion to play defense, just needs to get stronger. Some people don't even have the passion. Im back on Porzingis bandwagon....He's like a 7 foot shooting guard.....Thats crazy! Bargs is a 7 foot center.....Dirk is a 7 foot forward.

He moves around the court very smooth. He's a catch and shoot guard and can shoot off the dribble....with guard like movements. At 7 feet tall, he's unguardable. And with todays rules, he will be well protected. In fact, he should get to the free throw line often. What I also like is his potential to have Stein's type of PnR defensive agility. I think Philly will pick him, but if they don't, he's going to be the BPA at 4.....After Towns, Ok4 and Russell.

Here's hoping that 1-3 hold true to conventional thinking, and Phil shows a little creativity insight and pulls the trigger on this budding star!

smackeddog wrote:

jbeachboy wrote:they wont pick him, carmelo is 31 years old

Gasp! So is Lebron James!

cavs arent in lottery

While Hinkie is a big fan of Porzingis, he certainly isn't the only one:
Woj, on WFAN radio w/ @JoeandEvan, says: “So many teams want to trade up for Porzingis, that it could change the completion of this draft…"
11:43 AM - 16 Jun 2015

CrushAlot wrote:

BigRedDog wrote:Furthermore, Jake Pavorsky at Liberty Ballers reports Hinkie is "head-over-heels" for Porzingis. Philly already has several young big men in the pipeline, but Joel Embiid is a huge question mark because of his health issues and Dario Saric remains an unknown as well. If Hinkie truly is in love with Porzinigs, he may just be the pick and the possible logjam gets figured out later.

While Hinkie is a big fan of Porzingis, he certainly isn't the only one:
Woj, on WFAN radio w/ @JoeandEvan, says: “So many teams want to trade up for Porzingis, that it could change the completion of this draft…"
11:43 AM - 16 Jun 2015

Draftexpress is reporting that Saric isn't coming over for next season. They are speculating that Philly takes Kristaps because of Embiid and Saric's situation.

So we OK4, the big butt of Phil's dream or possibly Russell, best PG in the draft.

Russell works out for Philly, tomorrow, though.

However it goes down, we get a player who has been mentioned as a #1 pick by one source or another.

smackeddog wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Knicks have worked everyone else out--what about Porzingis?

Doing a Towns. OK4 only doing 2 workouts at this point...Russell 3, I think.

Supposedly I read that he would have meetings with teams after the Las Vegas workout.

Agents/Agencies control the system in some ways. His agent seems to be representing him as if he is the top pick in the draft.

Not great for fans, but his agent obviously believes this is the way to go.

Yep- the plan was he wouldn't do any individual workouts, however I think he made an exception because its the Lakers and they are picking number 2. Also it helps boost his stock further down.

Just erased that post- had not seen the workout post that was put up.

Maybe looking to squeeze Philly?