The case for Kristaps Porzingis

[Truth24]

Yeah I have maintained that Porzingis is my number two target behind Towns. I would have no problem drafting him in the top 6 should that be where we end up. I like Towns more because he is bigger and I think he can still play PF and center but Porzingis would still be a nice consolation prize.

Porzingis is bigger than Towns

He is taller but he isn't bigger.

[JF5]

So Towns/Turner/Porzingis

I wasn't sold on Porzingis last year because of his size. But he IS only 19 years old and has improved... Plus, his skills are more advanced (offensively) compared to most guys at his age. His defense can be improved, but I wish he had better instincts on that end... The prospect of him Gordon/Harris being our forward trio heading forward is VERY enticing.

[Skin]

Yeah I have maintained that Porzingis is my number two target behind Towns. I would have no problem drafting him in the top 6 should that be where we end up. I like Towns more because he is bigger and I think he can still play PF and center but Porzingis would still be a nice consolation prize.

Being bigger allows him to operate in the post easier, but is that what the Magic need next to Vuc? Another guy working the block? He's more of a hook shot and up and under lay up guy than he is a straight dunk over you guy. He's big and uses his elbows well, but he doesn't have quickness or explosion to his game. Not a plodder by any means, but more fast than quick. He has nice shooting form and I'm a believer that he'll get there, but he's not there yet. I hate dissin' Towns because he's on my Top 3 wish list, but I can't ignore some of his concerns either if I'm being honest with myself.

I don't think that necessarily is a bad thing because Vuc isn't just a guy who operated on the block, Vuc is also a guy who likes to step out and hit mid range jump shots as well. So I do believe that having a guy who can work the block and interchange in that aspect would be a perfect combination. I agree Towns isn't a guy who will dunk over everyone but that's not what we really need is it; we want a guy who can be a perfect help side shot blocker and can hit mid range jumpers on offense which is exactly what Towns can do.

WCS is usually the help side shot blocker. Calipari uses him on defense against quicker players, even out to the perimeter while Towns/Johnson man the post. If you want help defense, you need someone quick and explosive. Towns is a good post defender and can man up against the opposing team's biggest player. But that's why he's more of a shot blocker than rim protector.

Porzingis is quick and long, plus his range is better than Towns. If you say, "we want a guy who can be a perfect help side shot blocker and can hit mid range jumpers on offense", then Porzingis fits that better and beyond seeing as he can hit more than just a midrange jumper.

He's a game winning block from Porzingis showing off his ability to close in help defense. Something to wet your palate.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ACBCOM/status/531428074080858112[/tweet]

[Truth24]

Being bigger allows him to operate in the post easier, but is that what the Magic need next to Vuc? Another guy working the block? He's more of a hook shot and up and under lay up guy than he is a straight dunk over you guy. He's big and uses his elbows well, but he doesn't have quickness or explosion to his game. Not a plodder by any means, but more fast than quick. He has nice shooting form and I'm a believer that he'll get there, but he's not there yet. I hate dissin' Towns because he's on my Top 3 wish list, but I can't ignore some of his concerns either if I'm being honest with myself.

I don't think that necessarily is a bad thing because Vuc isn't just a guy who operated on the block, Vuc is also a guy who likes to step out and hit mid range jump shots as well. So I do believe that having a guy who can work the block and interchange in that aspect would be a perfect combination. I agree Towns isn't a guy who will dunk over everyone but that's not what we really need is it; we want a guy who can be a perfect help side shot blocker and can hit mid range jumpers on offense which is exactly what Towns can do.

WCS is usually the help side shot blocker. Calipari uses him on defense against quicker players, even out to the perimeter while Towns/Johnson man the post. If you want help defense, you need someone quick and explosive. Towns is a good post defender and can man up against the opposing team's biggest player. But that's why he's more of a shot blocker than rim protector.

Porzingis is quick and long, plus his range is better than Towns. If you say, "we want a guy who can be a perfect help side shot blocker and can hit mid range jumpers on offense", then Porzingis fits that better and beyond seeing as he can hit more than just a midrange jumper.

He's a game winning block from Porzingis showing off his ability to close in help defense. Something to wet your palate.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ACBCOM/status/531428074080858112[/tweet]

If you look at most of Towns blocks they come from the weak side leaving his man to help and block the shot, and Towns in used in the same sense of WCS. When in pick n roll situations he will switch and guard on the perimeter and Calipari is quite fine with that, he has the quickness to guard quicker forwards as he showed guarding Jerrell Martin out to the three. He is quick and explosive enough to be a weak side shot blocker and has shown that throughout the year.

Porzingis does have good range but not enough to really matter, because I really don't want my power forward sitting on the three point line. I love Porzingis and he would be a good pick if we weren't able to snatch Towns but he is in no way a better fit then Towns imo and again 10/10 times I take Towns over Porzingis.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u56avUA66hU[/youtube]

I think he has great explosion to be a help side shot blocker.

[Skin]

If you look at most of Towns blocks they come from the weak side leaving his man to help and block the shot, and Towns in used in the same sense of WCS. When in pick n roll situations he will switch and guard on the perimeter and Calipari is quite fine with that, he has the quickness to guard quicker forwards as he showed guarding Jerrell Martin out to the three. He is quick and explosive enough to be a weak side shot blocker and has shown that throughout the year.

Porzingis does have good range but not enough to really matter, because I really don't want my power forward sitting on the three point line. I love Porzingis and he would be a good pick if we weren't able to snatch Towns but he is in no way a better fit then Towns imo and again 10/10 times I take Towns over Porzingis.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u56avUA66hU[/youtube]

I think he has great explosion to be a help side shot blocker.

It would be awesome if there was a way to see most of Towns blocks, but I can't imagine them being majority from the weak side.

Don't really have to worry about Porzingis being a guy who just sits on the 3 point line like Frye. He loves to attack the rim. Watch this clip.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ACuB0Hm4I[/youtube]

Towns has an NBA ready body and I love that about him. I love that he plays with hunger and desire too. The good thing is that there are several good choices, so I hope we keep losing.

[Orlwillbeback]

I highley doubt porzingis is both an inside presence and an outside shooter, or else he would be ranked higher. Something doesnt add up.

[Nyce_1]

I highley doubt porzingis is both an inside presence and an outside shooter, or else he would be ranked higher. Something doesnt add up.

he's already ranked in the top 6 most places. And if he had the same exposure/hype as the US college kids, he'd probably be top 3/4.

[eyriq]

Not sold on this guy, seems uber soft. If we are top five I want Okafor, Towns, Russell, Johnson or Tuner. I think Russell or Okafor are my top two, I'm still not really very knowledgeable about this draft.

[Magic#1]

I'm on the Kristaps bandwagon as well. I don't take him over Okafor because what this team needs more than anything is a legit top tier player, and Okafor is the closest thing to that. I'm not sure I take Kristaps over Towns either because Towns has such a good all around game that would also fit in with us, but adding a guy like Kristaps with the athletes we already have would make us one of the most difficult matchups in the league. He absolutely fits the direction we're going with our team with his defensive ability, athleticism and shooting. Sure, he's still very raw, but how would you matchup with this lineup: Elf/Dipo/AG/Kristaps/Vooch plus Tobes if we keep him around. That is a true team. Let other teams figure out how to score against that team (granted it will take a few years to really get them great defensively). Most importantly, we need the right coach to guide these guys because the talent is there but they need to be taught a team game with a passion for defense.

[Big A All Day]

I know it's early but all but 2 mocks have Towns going before we get a chance to pick. I haven't seen much of kristaps but I'll be looking more into the prospects a little closer to draft time.

[Truth24]

Not sold on this guy, seems uber soft. If we are top five I want Okafor, Towns, Russell, Johnson or Tuner. I think Russell or Okafor are my top two, I'm still not really very knowledgeable about this draft.

I wouldn't say he is soft but he is really light and bigger guys really give him trouble and guys who drive into him tend to drive him back. It's not like he shy's away from contact or avoids it, he just doesn't have enough weight to really stand his ground just yet which is one of his biggest knocks. I don't know why people think he is some legit post defender because a lot of the bigger guys in the league are going to put him under the rim in the post.

[dsg2021]

Been pushing for him for the 12th last year. Still think he is the perfect fit for us.

Agreed fendi, and really great read Skin, thanks. Id like to catch some of his full games later on.

[Skin]

I highley doubt porzingis is both an inside presence and an outside shooter, or else he would be ranked higher. Something doesnt add up.

He's been a lottery name since last season. He was among the top 6 since the beginning of this season.

He's not an inside presence in the sense that he's going to bang with his back to the basket or hold ground against Centers in the post. That doesn't describe him, it describes his weaknesses.

His inside presence comes from the sense that he can get to the basket quick, uses his length and plays above the rim.

[Baka_La Flame]

If were picking outside the top 5 I would be interested. Still tho Myles Turner>>>

[Muizha]

The fact that Porzingis left the comforts of his home country to pursue his basketball career at such a young age is a reflection that he is chasing a basketball career. Having learned English is a great sign that he's serious about coming to the NBA. Fran had issues with the language and had separation issues with having to leave his home country.

But if Porzingis showed signs of not wanting to come to the NBA in a face to face interview then I would be hesitant to pull the trigger as well.

As a fellow Latvian to Porzingis I can say with some certainty that he want to come to the NBA and that he wants to do it this year (he does say that he will think about the draft only after this season, but IMO he is definitely declaring this year).

Another interesting note is that in a recent interview with a Latvian sports site Porzingis' brother said that not all of the teams will have the opportunity to work out Kristaps before the draft and that his camp will target some certain teams that they believe can help Kristaps more to improve as a basketball player in the NBA. So regarding this it is a good thing that the Magic has fired Vaughn, but unless they have a coach (and a respectable one) in place before the draft, Porzingis may not be willing to come to Orlando.

Hey welcome! I'm glad you found your way here. This is a critical bit of information. I think the most important part from the Magic's point of view is as long as Porzingis is honest during the draft process and informs the Magic that he has no intentions of playing with them then the Magic won't make the same mistake in drafting him as they did with Fran Vazquez. If he's not honest and decides not to come over after saying he would then that would be devastating. I think it's interesting that Porzingis would make or break his decision based off the coach. Not the greatest reflection of his maturity if true. Appreciate the comments! Don't be a stranger

It's not that he wouldn't come over if Magic or any other team would draft him, it's just that he and his camp wants some say in where he ends up - basically they're looking for the best situation for him, like Indiana, which is a solid team and organization with a solid coach or maybe even New York, where Phil Jackson is in charge so they may believe that the situation is right for Kristaps (this is a pure speculation from my side though). I also think that they don't want Kristaps to play for a team like Lakers and there were rumors that he definitely doesn't want to be a part of the experiment in Philly.

However, I can say with like 95% confidence that he is coming to the NBA regardless of which team drafts him, it's just that he won't work out for some of the teams that may invite him (think Steph Curry before his draft and how he didn't want to go to Golden State to work out).

Also I don't think it's a reflection of his maturity, at least not in a bad way, I mean, I wouldn't want to play for a coach or organization that can't help me develop my talent if I were a basketball player.

[ralphie9898]

Yeah I have maintained that Porzingis is my number two target behind Towns. I would have no problem drafting him in the top 6 should that be where we end up. I like Towns more because he is bigger and I think he can still play PF and center but Porzingis would still be a nice consolation prize.

Being bigger allows him to operate in the post easier, but is that what the Magic need next to Vuc? Another guy working the block? He's more of a hook shot and up and under lay up guy than he is a straight dunk over you guy. He's big and uses his elbows well, but he doesn't have quickness or explosion to his game. Not a plodder by any means, but more fast than quick. He has nice shooting form and I'm a believer that he'll get there, but he's not there yet. I hate dissin' Towns because he's on my Top 3 wish list, but I can't ignore some of his concerns either if I'm being honest with myself.

I guess I feel the same way about Porzingis and his weight gain as I do about Towns and his shot that should become a weapon. Porzingis is thin, but he can create space with his shooting and he plays above the rim. Skill wise, he's more advanced than Towns. Physically Towns is more imposing, but not as athletic. Both of them are still teenagers. They will get bigger and heavier by default.

Remember when Anthony Davis was a 6'10, 220 pound skinny freshman?

Yeah he is bigger but he can play PF. I don't think he is exclusively a center though he could be an maybe in a year or two we look to trade one of them. That remains to be seen but I believe Towns has the ability to be true rim protector whereas Porzingis will just be a shot blocking PF. As I have said the two aren't the same as any PF,especially these days has to chase around quicker and more mobile PFs who can even shoot the three. But I also think that Towns has enough range on his shot and just enough athletic ability to defend the 4 as well. As I said I wouldn't be disappointed with Porzingis but I like Towns just a bit more. yeah they probably will get bigger but not sure by how much and I think Porzingis is purely a PF whereas I think Towns could possibly be ideal at either spot. We shall see but I would be happy with either.

[ralphie9898]

Yeah I have maintained that Porzingis is my number two target behind Towns. I would have no problem drafting him in the top 6 should that be where we end up. I like Towns more because he is bigger and I think he can still play PF and center but Porzingis would still be a nice consolation prize.

Porzingis is bigger than Towns

? Twons is the same height and has around 30 pounds on Porzingis. Bigger? Of course these numbers aren't offical and we likely will have to wait till the combine to get accurate numbers but Towns is bigger than Porzingis.

[No-Man]

Towns is 6'11 in shoes, Porzingis is 7'1
Towns has around 25lbs on Porzingis, he is heavier yep, but he is a worse athlete and his clearly smaller.

[No-Man]

In case anybody is interested, Porzingis numbers this season, using all his games, per36 are,

18,3ppg 7,4rpg 1apg 1.4spg 1.8bpg FG 55% 3ptshooting 40% (2.3 attemps per game) FT 72% (2.4 attemps per game).

Against grown men, not amateurs.

[ralphie9898]

Towns is 6'11 in shoes, Porzingis is 7'1
Towns has around 25lbs on Porzingis, he is heavier yep, but he is a worse athlete and his clearly smaller.

Where you getting that height because I am seeing both at 6' 11". But as I said there are likely to be a bunch of different numbers and we won't truly know till we can get official measurements at the combine. But if Porzingis taller which I thought he was by an inch or two(which isn't that big of a deal) as you said Towns is likely heavier. So that makes Towns just as big. As big refers to combination of height and weight. I'll give you that Porzingis is taller(which is the word you should use rather than bigger) but that only helps to make him skinnier. Towns has the weight advantage so in the end Towns is bigger. He is simply more imposing and better able to withstand the physical game at this point then Porzingis.