Porzingis Unicorn #3 Thread

[BLACKFEET 2010]

I'm not feeling the way the organization seems to be kissing up to this dude. The honeymoon is over. This year we need results.

We got results. Idk why there's this notion that kp was horrible last year. In a year we added a player who averaged 18pts, a vet SG and a former double double player, all while keeping Anthony we saw KP average 18pts/7.3rb and 2 blks in his sophmore year.

I don't know exactly what people expect him to be apologetic for. It was a great year considering. Up until he got his first taste of injury he was a top 10 ranked defensive player. He dealt with nagging injuries all year, a pg who was all about himself. I think he did just fine. Its definitely something to build upon

No, I'm talking about the big boy power move of skipping the exit meeting and his passive aggressive summer silence and indifference towards the organization. He's acting like a star, cool. Now I expect him to be one.
I don't understand how people just overlook him skipping out on the exit interviews. It's subordination. Rose's AWOL move looked terrible on the optics but by the way it was received by his teammates it seemed it was something more to the story, maybe something more sinister or dangerous than we were told. Not saying it was ok but if it was truly a family situation then we have to take it with a grain of salt. KP skipped out strictly because of basketball and flexing his power. I don't see how it's ok that he did this and has yet to speak on it.
I'm not turning on him or wishing he doesn't do well but you want to act like it's your team and call shots through your brother, fine. Now win. No excuses.

[Kurt Rambis]

I think KP will be PF majority of his career. All he needs to do work on put more strength & post moves for smaller defenders like Dirk/Gasol.

[Dr. Detfink]

Last season, the Knicks as a team were ATROCIOUS defensively and they'll be even WORSE this coming season because they don't have the right coach.

Yes, KP did regress as a player defensively but some of that has to do with the fact, he's still working on his lower body strength and he had an injury plagued season.

Defense is a mentality.

Talk about great defensive teams, the Detroit Pistons led by Billups were NOT individually a good team defensively save Ben Wallace. Larry Brown basically chastised them into playing strong together.

I truly believe the guys in the locker room love Melo but Melo's cardinal sin, he doesn't push guys to be better.

He just gives some soft advice kind of like your big brother who is lovingly trying to tell you that girls pay attention to thuggish physique with tattoos and a job as a sous chef and you should lay off the McDonalds. You don't need that. You need someone to say, "Look motherfu#ker. The girl who dumped you is a wake up call. Get your butt to the gym!"

Save some time and get better.

[dakomish23]

Watch on YouTube

Play him at the 5 to maximize his shot blocking

Play him at the 5 to maximize his shooting, agility, ability to attack a close out and ability to put the ball on the floor and pull up.

Or don't and keep putting players in a position to fail.

Now that's really radical. We needed to play him at the 4 because he was too skinny and besides, triangle.

Now you want us to play him where he's gong to help us win? Win?

You prefer winning over trying to use a system that worked with Michael Jordan in his prime? That was the great MJ, man.

How can you prefer we just win? If we win by using our players where they play best, Phil may just come back to NY and hit you with all of his rings! (I know, that might mean 2 on some fingers.)

What the hell did I just read? Green font?

I gave my reasons to maximize the potential of KP.

This has zero to do with win now, though we'd win more by maximizing him. He can still play some PF next WHG / KOQ when they're on the floor.

The NBA has moved away from the low post and a guy like KP is what folks are looking for at C. We should recognize this and use him in this way.

We won't, but we should.

[DOT]

Statistically we're worse with KP at the 5 than at the 4 because he's a poor rebounder, and we don't have any good rebounding 4s

Defense is a 5 man job, if KP is guarding a 4 at the 3pt line, and a PnR happens and KP has to help because the on-ball defender gets lost on the screen, it's up to the other players to know their rotations so that we don't give up uncontested 3s

KP should get reps at the 5 for 5-10 minutes a game for now, but it makes sense why we'd start him at the 4 next to Willy, especially since in this era, positions are really meaningless

[BKlutch]

Watch on YouTube

Play him at the 5 to maximize his shot blocking

Play him at the 5 to maximize his shooting, agility, ability to attack a close out and ability to put the ball on the floor and pull up.

Or don't and keep putting players in a position to fail.

Now that's really radical. We needed to play him at the 4 because he was too skinny and besides, triangle.

Now you want us to play him where he's gong to help us win? Win?

You prefer winning over trying to use a system that worked with Michael Jordan in his prime? That was the great MJ, man.

How can you prefer we just win? If we win by using our players where they play best, Phil may just come back to NY and hit you with all of his rings! (I know, that might mean 2 on some fingers.)

What the hell did I just read? Green font?

I gave my reasons to maximize the potential of KP.

This has zero to do with win now, though we'd win more by maximizing him. He can still play some PF next WHG / KOQ when they're on the floor.

The NBA has moved away from the low post and a guy like KP is what folks are looking for at C. We should recognize this and use him in this way.

We won't, but we should.

This is right.

But don't let Phil know.

[NBA Fan 1234]

KP's defense was much better at the 4 than the 5 this past season. 82games.com's stats back that claim up.

[fatalogic]

I really don't get the rush to play him at C. His body can't handle it yet and his post game isn't ready either. Dirk played at PF for most of his career so what's the problem.

[Fat Kat]

KP can't effectively post up guards. The center talk is premature.

[Wolfgang630]

KP should be posting up 4's 3's 2's and 1's

[Nazrmohamed]

I'm not feeling the way the organization seems to be kissing up to this dude. The honeymoon is over. This year we need results.

We got results. Idk why there's this notion that kp was horrible last year. In a year we added a player who averaged 18pts, a vet SG and a former double double player, all while keeping Anthony we saw KP average 18pts/7.3rb and 2 blks in his sophmore year.

I don't know exactly what people expect him to be apologetic for. It was a great year considering. Up until he got his first taste of injury he was a top 10 ranked defensive player. He dealt with nagging injuries all year, a pg who was all about himself. I think he did just fine. Its definitely something to build upon

No, I'm talking about the big boy power move of skipping the exit meeting and his passive aggressive summer silence and indifference towards the organization. He's acting like a star, cool. Now I expect him to be one.
I don't understand how people just overlook him skipping out on the exit interviews. It's subordination. Rose's AWOL move looked terrible on the optics but by the way it was received by his teammates it seemed it was something more to the story, maybe something more sinister or dangerous than we were told. Not saying it was ok but if it was truly a family situation then we have to take it with a grain of salt. KP skipped out strictly because of basketball and flexing his power. I don't see how it's ok that he did this and has yet to speak on it.
I'm not turning on him or wishing he doesn't do well but you want to act like it's your team and call shots through your brother, fine. Now win. No excuses.

Ok, I hear ya. Nothing wrong with giving the kid some expectations. As far as the interview I don't mind it. I think its far less about ego with KP. Probably thought we'd all back him up and as it seems, it was a bad miscalculation. The Knicks are a bonafide mess. You know it, I know it and KP did probably think he should make a stand. In fact I never realized how rare it is for someone to do that. I thought it happened all the time. Maybe it happens all the time in Europe. Everybody will get over it.

But my thing is this. People pissed he didn't communicate all summer. I saw lots of communication. All he failed to do is provide some corny azz apology and I hope he never does. Even if he knows he's wrong, just do exactly what you said. Dominate. I guess its just that I expect him to do it. And you can't be a star until you just dgaf and dominate instead.

[PrecociousNeoph]

A turnaround jumper in the post is low post scoring. Yao Ming and Dirk did this regularly, and Porzingis does this a lot as well and did this especially under Derek Fisher. This myth that just because he isn't sealing his man under the rim using his gigantic ass, then calling for the ball and doing a three dribble power hop into ferocious dunk in the post he is not capable of scoring in the post is just that, a myth. He absolutely can and he does... that is, when they actually pass him the ball when he has a mismatch

[BLACKFEET 2010]

A turnaround jumper in the post is low post scoring. Yao Ming and Dirk did this regularly, and Porzingis does this a lot as well and did this especially under Derek Fisher. This myth that just because he isn't sealing his man under the rim using his gigantic ass, then calling for the ball and doing a three dribble power hop into ferocious dunk in the post he is not capable of scoring in the post is just that, a myth. He absolutely can and he does... that is, when they actually pass him the ball when he has a mismatch

Lol @ gigantic ass.
Pics or it didn't happen.

[Wolfgang630]

A turnaround jumper in the post is low post scoring. Yao Ming and Dirk did this regularly, and Porzingis does this a lot as well and did this especially under Derek Fisher. This myth that just because he isn't sealing his man under the rim using his gigantic ass, then calling for the ball and doing a three dribble power hop into ferocious dunk in the post he is not capable of scoring in the post is just that, a myth. He absolutely can and he does... that is, when they actually pass him the ball when he has a mismatch

Yep. There's different ways to play from the post. He's not going to be Shaq in the post. He's going to be Dirk in the post and he **** needs to learn it.

[KnicksGadfly]

KP can't effectively post up guards. The center talk is premature.

He doesn't need to post up guards as a center. If he is stretching a guy like Rudy Gobert out to the 3 point line, while being an interior presence at the 5, he's doing his job, and already bringing huge value to the squad. I agree that he'll need to find a way to punish guards, but if he gets there by shooting over them, that's okay.

[Adelheid]

Imagine KP with the sky hook -- holy schit!

[dakomish23]

KP's defense was much better at the 4 than the 5 this past season. 82games.com's stats back that claim up.

What were the most used lineups where he's at the 5? If it's him at the 5 and defensive scrubs 1-4, that's not a good indicator.

I'm basing my opinion on what I saw this season. 3 games to me that stick out where he played the 5 a lot, especially in the 2nd half, was the 1st BKN game, 1st LAL game and the 1st MIN game.

If you were building the best defensive team from this roster, where would you have him playing?

Also what about the fit offensively?

[NBA Fan 1234]

KP's defense was much better at the 4 than the 5 this past season. 82games.com's stats back that claim up.

What were the most used lineups where he's at the 5? If it's him at the 5 and defensive scrubs 1-4, that's not a good indicator.

I'm basing my opinion on what I saw this season. 3 games to me that stick out where he played the 5 a lot, especially in the 2nd half, was the 1st BKN game, 1st LAL game and the 1st MIN game.

If you were building the best defensive team from this roster, where would you have him playing?

Also what about the fit offensively?

http://www.82games.com/1617/16NYK12.HTM

We didn't have a good defensive lineup really at any point last year and if I'm basing something on stats, I'm using a larger sample size over just a three game one. You'd think the defense would be better because it'd bring him closer to the rim, but aside from a couple of games, his defense on the perimter was fine - it was his PnR defense that was an issue, but that was an issue whether he was playing the 4 or 5 because a) we had no scheme and b) look who the defensive PG was involved in the action most of the time.

I know KP was -11 within 6 feet (which is absurd) and we should try to keep him closer to the rim, but our defense was bad when he was playing at the 5. Using his mobility and ability to alter shots weak side, recover / rotate, etc is what we should be doing until he's strong enough to play the 5 (which we shouldn't rush into and, even then, I don't know we should be doing it that often).

Offensively the fit is better because more spacing.

If I'm building the best defensive team, I'm putting him at the 4 now and not thinking twice about it.

[dakomish23]

KP's defense was much better at the 4 than the 5 this past season. 82games.com's stats back that claim up.

What were the most used lineups where he's at the 5? If it's him at the 5 and defensive scrubs 1-4, that's not a good indicator.

I'm basing my opinion on what I saw this season. 3 games to me that stick out where he played the 5 a lot, especially in the 2nd half, was the 1st BKN game, 1st LAL game and the 1st MIN game.

If you were building the best defensive team from this roster, where would you have him playing?

Also what about the fit offensively?

http://www.82games.com/1617/16NYK12.HTM

We didn't have a good defensive lineup really at any point last year and if I'm basing something on stats, I'm using a larger sample size over just a three game one. You'd think the defense would be better because it'd bring him closer to the rim, but aside from a couple of games, his defense on the perimter was fine - it was his PnR defense that was an issue, but that was an issue whether he was playing the 4 or 5 because a) we had no scheme and b) look who the defensive PG was involved in the action most of the time.

I know KP was -11 within 6 feet (which is absurd) and we should try to keep him closer to the rim, but our defense was bad when he was playing at the 5. Using his mobility and ability to alter shots weak side, recover / rotate, etc is what we should be doing until he's strong enough to play the 5 (which we shouldn't rush into and, even then, I don't know we should be doing it that often).

Offensively the fit is better because more spacing.

If I'm building the best defensive team, I'm putting him at the 4 now and not thinking twice about it.

You're right that we can't use such a small sample size but I don't remember many other samples where he played extended minutes at the 5 in the 2nd half. I wish I had more examples.

I'm not sold on his weight being an issue to man the position. Maybe if I saw more of it I could see it play out that way, but I didn't when we did use him at the 5.

Anyway, all signs seem to point towards WHG at the 5 to start the season. I do think they can compliment each other somewhat.

[DOT]

KP's defense was much better at the 4 than the 5 this past season. 82games.com's stats back that claim up.

What were the most used lineups where he's at the 5? If it's him at the 5 and defensive scrubs 1-4, that's not a good indicator.

I'm basing my opinion on what I saw this season. 3 games to me that stick out where he played the 5 a lot, especially in the 2nd half, was the 1st BKN game, 1st LAL game and the 1st MIN game.

If you were building the best defensive team from this roster, where would you have him playing?

Also what about the fit offensively?

http://www.82games.com/1617/16NYK12.HTM

We didn't have a good defensive lineup really at any point last year and if I'm basing something on stats, I'm using a larger sample size over just a three game one. You'd think the defense would be better because it'd bring him closer to the rim, but aside from a couple of games, his defense on the perimter was fine - it was his PnR defense that was an issue, but that was an issue whether he was playing the 4 or 5 because a) we had no scheme and b) look who the defensive PG was involved in the action most of the time.

I know KP was -11 within 6 feet (which is absurd) and we should try to keep him closer to the rim, but our defense was bad when he was playing at the 5. Using his mobility and ability to alter shots weak side, recover / rotate, etc is what we should be doing until he's strong enough to play the 5 (which we shouldn't rush into and, even then, I don't know we should be doing it that often).

Offensively the fit is better because more spacing.

If I'm building the best defensive team, I'm putting him at the 4 now and not thinking twice about it.

I just think back to this game
https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201701060MIL.html
When we had KP on Giannis for most of the night. While he didn't exactly shut him down, Giannis had to work for his points, and that's something even good perimiter defenders struggle with

Bonus highlights from that game

Watch on YouTube