A Closer look at the Progression of Kristaps Porzingis

Ever since Kristaps Porzingis appeared at Madison Square Gardens last October he has become an NBA sensation. He has all the qualities of a star: the size, precise shooting and great defensive skills, and he’s already one of the top 3 point shooters in the league even though he is only in his second season in the NBA.

There are other greats who extended their shooting capabilities past the arch. We can recall Dirk Nowitzki back in 1998 who inspired a whole new generation of three point shooters. Stephen Curry is also responsible for starting a trend, however, solid players with sound fundamentals are usually less eye catching. There haven’t been many players who come in the same package as Porzingis and are as skillful. Standing at 7-foot-3, the New York Knicks sensation has great movement abilities and a soft touch. But what makes Kristaps Porzingis a player to watch in 2017?

Spot-Ups & Pick-and-Pop

One of the reasons why Porzingis is different from other basketball heavyweights is his ability to knock down-open-catch-shoot 3 pointers. This season he is trying to achieve 3 catch-and-shoots per game on average, which will be the tenth highest in the league.

Despite the high volume of shots, it seems Porzingis has a better shot record than other top shooters such as J.R Smith, Eric Gordon and Klay Thompson. Only two other forwards are capable of delivering a performance that matches Porzingis in efficiency and volume – Ryan Anderson and Kevin Love. 

Ryan Anderson is very impressive on his shots but is 5 inches shorter than Porzingis. This small height difference is what gives Porzingis a huge advantage over Anderson, especially when working under the paint. His height advantage accompanied by his skillful shooting gives the Knicks a strong offensive gravity and Porzingis can be efficient on the attack and on defense as well. This should make the Knicks heavy favorites this season. You can check out this free bets offers page for 2017 to place your bets on the team. He’s also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to blocked shots and rebounds and is great field vision allows him to anticipate plays well and use his height and reach to his advantage.

Playmaking & Passes

The Knicks heavily utilize Porzingis to spot out catch-and-shoot attempts off driven kick outs or post-ups. The purpose of this approach is to encourage their opponents to engage in one on-one defense. If they slip or Porzingis notices a weakness he can punish them by knocking down open shots or opting for small cuts that get him closer to the basket.

This strategy seems great in theory but it has not been very effective practically as it was not the best way to use Porzingis’s talents. This is because the ball-dominant players in the Knicks hardly scour for kick-out chances.

Porzingis would be better utilized as an off-ball player. A great way of utilizing his gravity would be by using him as a screener and focusing on a pick and pop situation. When he forms a ball screen, the defender has no choice but to halt his turning attempt which might result in an aim at the paint.

A Promising Future

When you take a look at Porzingis shooting stats you can see already see greatness in the making. The 21 year old’s overall performance this year will mainly depend on who he is getting his shots from or who he is playing off of. Last year alone, Carmelo Anthony was involved in Porzingis’ 373 field goals by providing assists and we hope that their chemistry will allow Porzingis to develop to his full potential.