Kid who cried when Knicks picked Porzingis now wears his jersey
We all remember what happened right after the New York Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft back in June: fans in Barclays Center began to boo, as has become customary over the years whenever the Knicks make any draft-night decision. No ‘Bocker backer, though, looked as distraught as this young man, who seemed positively apoplectic at Phil Jackson choosing a 7-foot-3 teenager from Latvia as the Knicks’ new standard-bearer:
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(One must never be too apoplectic to take a selfie, however.)
Six months later, of course, we know something that our boy Yung Sadness didn’t: Kristaps is pretty darn good.
Porzingis has proven NBA-ready much sooner than many anticipated, starting all 27 games for the Knicks while averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 27.4 minutes a night. He’s tied with Karl-Anthony Towns for the top spot among rookies in per-game shot-blocking, ranks second behind Towns in rebounding, and stands third behind Towns and Jahlil Okafor in shot-blocking. The Knicks have been 6.5 points per 100 possessions with him playing than when he sits; he leads the team in plus-minus on the season; and he’s shown a penchant for performing under pressure that’s earned the respect of observers both inside and outside the Knicks locker room.
After his early-season breakout, Porzingis offered a tongue-in-cheek assessment of his changed standing among fans who questioned his selection:
So, about that:
Everyone remember this cool little #Knicks fan who cried at the NBA draft? I bet he’s a @kporzee fan now! Lol. He’s wearing his jersey! Future rookie of the year!!!!
This calls to mind Kristaps’ comments during his post-selection press conference in the bowels of Barclays Center:
“I mean, a lot of fans weren’t happy that they drafted me, but I have to do everything that’s in my hands to turn those booing fans into clapping fans.”
Mission accomplished, sir.
Porzingis didn’t look like a supernova megastar during the Knicks’ Friday night meeting with fellow top pick Okafor’s Philadelphia 76ers, but he didn’t have to. With Arron Afflalo, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Williams and Lance Thomas taking turns beating up on the Sixers’ wings, generating either easy interior looks or trips to the foul line, New York dominated the proceedings, building up a 20-point first-half lead that ballooned to 30 early in the fourth quarter before Derek Fisher called off the dogs, as the Knicks breezed to a 107-97 final that gives them three straight wins and pulls them within one game of .500 on the season at 13-14.
Porzingis finished with a mostly quiet eight points on 3-for-9 shooting four rebounds, three blocks, one steal and one assist in 26 minutes of burn. He did make his presence felt in the second quarter, though, with a couple of blocks on Sixers guard Tony Wroten and a fast-break dunk, eliciting “POR-ZING-IS!” chants from the many Knicks fans who made the trip to Wells Fargo Center:
“The great thing about [Porzingis] is even if he’s not getting the most amount of opportunities offensively, he’s blocking shots, he’s changing shots, he’s still impacting the game,” Fisher said after the game, according to Dave Zeitlin of The Associated Press. “We’re a better team when he’s out there on the floor and I think he’s going to continue to learn every night when he’s out there on the floor.”
And the more he’s out there contributing to the Knicks’ success, the more fans he’ll win over — including, it seems, his sternest early critics.
Hat-tips to @KD_SWAGGER and @ECruz174.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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