New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis is in Carmelo Anthony’s good graces.
That is, so long as being allowed to play five-on-five with Melo at Melo’s gym constitutes as being in Melo’s good graces. We’re going to assume it does.
Anyway, here’s the brief low-down from the New York Post‘s Marc Berman:
Porzingis said he’s played five-on-five with Carmelo Anthony at Anthony’s new gym in Manhattan. The games have also included Knicks teammates Jose Calderon, Langston Galloway, Jerian Grant, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and area college players.
The Knicks open training camp in late September.
Fun, fun, fun. Team bonding and stuff. Kyle O’Quinn, Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams, among many others will just have to catch up in training camp. But the important thing is Melo doesn’t appear to loathe Porzingis and his rawness and his youth and the fact he might provide a glimpse into a future that doesn’t include Melo.
Perhaps those initial rumors, the ones that claimed Melo was unhappy with the Knicks’ selection of Porzingis, as well as their general direction, were just false or exaggerated. Maybe Zinger has just been impressing Melo with his onset progression.
Or, equally likely, perhaps it’s Zinger’s bulk. I mean, the rookie seems really excited about all the weight and muscle he’s gaining, so maybe Melo is too.
From Berman:
The Post reported Monday the 7-foot-3 Porzingis has put on 11 pounds since returning from Latvia to train with the Knicks staff in late July. The Knicks drafted Porzingis fourth overall in last spring’s NBA draft.
“It’s the upper body,’’ Porzingis told The Post. “Guys can’t push me around that easy, and I still got time to get a little stronger. I can’t wait for training camp.’’
Porzingis confirmed he’s put on “five kilos’’ since late July — equivalent to 11 pounds.
“I’m working out twice a day, lifting hard, trying to eat as much as possible to gain weight, getting my sleep, doing the right things to gain weight,” he said. “I’m getting stronger and I’m feeling stronger playing in five-on-five pickup. Definitely feeling stronger.’’
The extra weight could impact Zinger’s explosion, but he’s putting it on at a young enough age to where he can adjust and perhaps mitigate any drop-off. Plus, this is more about him surviving on the defensive end. Zinger could use a little extra cushion when posting up, but he can also score off the dribble and catch; he doesn’t need the additional muscle to survive on that end.
But he’s going to be defending traditional power forwards and, on occasion, burly centers who do post up. He must be able to stand his ground and protect the rim, rather then relegating himself to turnstile status.
A lot of that comes back to effort and tactics, but girth is a part of it as well. At the very least, it looks as if Zinger won’t be an uncooked spaghetti noodle opponents are able to snap in half on a whim.
That’s never a bad thing.
