As a 7’3″ beanpole with three-point range, a strong presence around the rim and a burgeoning fadeaway jumper, New York Knicks sophomore Kristaps Porzingis is already terrifying to opposing defenses.
And yet, he’s aiming to be scarier.
The 21-year-old is continuously trying to broaden his offensive horizons, and at the moment, that includes honing his crossover dribble, per Newsday‘s Al Iannazzone:
With his brother Janis pushing him, Porzingis added some muscle and improved his post game, his shooting and his ballhandling.
Despite his size, he was a point guard when he was younger. He might surprise you with a move that guards Tim Hardaway, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Jamal Crawford mastered.
“I’ve been trying to work on my crossover,” Porzingis said. “I think a 7-3 guy with a crossover — that would be pretty sweet.”
Porzingis, the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, is trying to become undefendable. Last season, some teams used much smaller players on him. They would frustrate him with their quickness or by putting most of their weight on Porzingis’ legs. To counter that, he strengthened his lower body and worked on his turnaround jumper. “Once I get the ball, nobody can reach my shot,” he said. “Just turn around and just shoot over those guys. That’s easy.”
This is good news for Knicks, who will not exist under the illusion that their team is a genuine contender, something many have, admittedly, caught on to already. Porzingis’ development represents hope for the franchise in ways their sloppy free-agent spending and slipshod interpretations of patience and process never will. He is the future, in that he’s not a finished product, but he’s also the present, in that he’s capable of delivering silver linings now.
The idea of him crossing over centers and point guards alike is one such form as hope. Porzingis broke it out at points over the preseason, and he looked just fine. He has a great feel for the ball. His shooting motion is smoother and quicker, his handles are tighter and he looks much more comfortable putting the rock on the floor.
On that note, I’ll let you go, so that you, like me, can go back to waiting for a Vine of Porzingis breaking Kevin Durant’s ankles.
