Some good advice...
What Kristaps Porzingis must do to make next step toward greatnessWhen your NBA jersey is the No. 4 top seller behind Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, you know you're doing something right.
For now, Kristaps Porzingis is doing something right.
Teammates love him, fans love him – even the New York media loves him. And why shouldn't he be a fan favorite and media star? Porzingis is a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, averaging nearly 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks a game. Impressive numbers for someone who was booed at last summer's NBA draft.
Next year he should be a double-double machine.
But for Porzingis, what happens between Year 1 and Year 2 will determine the kind of player he can (or can't) be. Game film, stats and analytics can tell you what an athlete has already done, but they can't guarantee what happens next, especially when the player is transitioning from an unknown rookie to the Next Big Thing.
The offseason has a huge and unpredictable impact, as the pressure and expectations skyrocket. Last summer he was virtually unknown; this summer he'll be one of the biggest stars in all of New York. He could play for Latvia in the Olympic qualifier, he could spend time in the Las Vegas summer league (which seems unlikely, given all the games he'll play this season).
Either way, here's the critical question: Does he keep working to get better, or does he just work? Does he believe the hard part – acceptance in the NBA – is over? Most players exhale after they finally arrive. The great ones train and prepare as if their jobs are always on the line.
Having worked with the best of the best NBA players for more than 25 years, I've seen too many rookie sensations disintegrate too quickly.
Why? So many reasons.
Rookie sensations can lose focus, become distracted. They only work on their established strengths and stop developing the rest of their game. They take the summer off because they've "earned it."
Time management becomes both complex and crucial for the rookie being pulled various directions in the summer after his first NBA season. Commitments, endorsements, appearances, trips around the globe, increased attention from family and "friends" are all part of the distraction.
Does Porzingis have the ability to keep all the points of his stardom in balance? Lean too far in one direction, the star starts to flicker. Lose control altogether, the star flames out.
The difference between an All-Star and an average player is not the way the player sweats in the gym. It's the way the player sweats the details of physical and mental excellence. For athletes who are serious about improving, there is no offseason. It's not enough to just work out. You have to work out with a purpose, improving all aspects of your game, even the stuff you don't want to do. A successful healthy season requires a well-rounded program that includes training to protect against injury. And for a player like Porzingis, with those long limbs, injury prevention is essential.
The biggest mistake I see? Athletes who, in fact, do work at turning their weakness into strengths, but then allow their strengths to become weakness. They learn something new, but forget what makes them special to begin with. The greats add to their games; they don't swap one skill for another.
What you did last year doesn't matter. This season, there is no pressure for Porzingis. Go play.
Next season? All the pressure: Go win. Pressure impacts players in different ways. Some hear criticism and crumble, others hear it as feedback and use it to grow. Depending on the player, boos and cheers can be equally empowering and destructive.
Bottom line, you can measure the tangibles – height, weight, speed, shooting analytics – but a player's success comes down to what you can't measure: mental toughness, commitment, persistence and the instinctive power of the heart beating in the chest. Especially surrounded by the bright lights and distractions of New York.
Tim S. Grover is the CEO of ATTACK Athletics, world-renowned for his work with championship and Hall of Fame athletes, especially NBA players. He is author of the best-selling book "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable." Follow Tim @ATTACKATHLETICS on Twitter and Instagram, and visit www.attackathletics.com for more.
2/9/2016 6:42 PM