Thanks to an event going on Sunday in the Bay Area, the No. 50 is in vogue this week. So in keeping with the festivities, why not examine the first 50 games of Kristaps Porzingis? The Knicks’ first-round draft pick from Latvia will hit that milestone Tuesday night against the Celtics at the Garden.
The Knicks are 23-27 after a 116-95 beatdown at the hands of the defending champion Warriors on Sunday night. Porzingis plays in his 50th Tuesday night after missing Thursday’s loss to Toronto with a respiratory ailment that still lingers.
That the 20-year-old has played in all but that one game this season is a huge plus. His durability might have been the biggest question after whether he had game, heart and was coachable. Add excellent with the media, gracious with fans and humble for being selected fourth overall, and you can check all of the above for the 7-foot-3 Porzingis.
Yet this season will forever be a learning experience through good times and not so good. He didn’t stick around after practice Monday to speak to the media. Neither did Carmelo Anthony. It’s understandable if they were still a bit bruised physically and mentally after being dominated on their home floor by the best team in the NBA.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters Porzingis was going to be a “star,” though the Knicks rookie didn’t play like one against the champs. He had two fouls 90 seconds into the game, played just 20 minutes and gathered 14 points and six rebounds. His youth and lack of muscle made him easy prey for Warriors forward Draymond Green.
When asked what Porzingis should learn from the defeat, Knicks coach Derek Fisher drilled the basics of being a pro: “You have to be ready to play every night, and every night is different. The matchups are different,” he said. “The things that are going to be successful and cause you problems are going to be different each night. It’s another learning experience for him and our entire team from that perspective.”
Porzingis is averaging 13.9 points and 7.7 rebounds along with 2.0 blocks. He has scored 20 or more points eight times and has 16 double-doubles. He is shooting a respectable 42.5 percent from the field, including 34.8 percent from 3-point range.
Give Anthony credit for nurturing Porzingis along. He hasn’t shown any jealously of the fanfare being poured on Porzingis and has encouraged his growth on and off the court.
The Knicks are still within striking distance of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, and you would think being in a postseason chase would be a beneficial experience. But Fisher doesn’t want to put too much emphasis on achieving that specific goal.
“There will be a lot written about and talked about in terms of the standings,” the coach said, “but we have to stay focused on getting better every game. The results will take care of themselves.”
View the 50-game mark of an NBA season as the back stretch of a season, a time when the heart and will to succeed drive the battered body. So far, so good with Porzingis.
“For a first-year player, he’s really good at adjusting to what he sees,” Fisher said. “Every game he plays is an opportunity to gain more knowledge and understanding of how to play in this league and how to be successful every night. That doesn’t necessarily mean statistically successful. Just finding a way to impact our team, and he generally does that. Even on a night where he gets in foul trouble, etc., we’re better off having him on the floor than not. I think he’s good in terms of adjusting and adapting.”
That’s as good as the Knicks could have asked for, heading into Porzingis’ 50th game.