Certain people (me) have been bemoaning (me) the New York Knicks’ inconsistent use (me) of Kristaps Porzingis (me) on the offensive end (me) this season (me).
Why isn’t he more of a focal point? Why isn’t he finishing games? Why doesn’t Derrick Rose pass to him more?
All these questions have a simple answer: He’s too young, at 21, to carry the offensive hopes and burdens of an entire team.
Also: Head coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t want anyone to bear that responsibility, per Newsday‘s Al Iannazzone:
“You don’t want to put that on a — what did he, just turn 21; second year in the league — when you have players like Carmelo and now Derrick, guys who have proven it in this league for years,” Hornacek said. “We try not to make [Porzingis] the focal point, but we’re trying not to make Carmelo necessarily the focal point or Derrick the focal point. We want everybody to be involved.”
Some of what Hornacek is saying makes sense. Whether you like the Knicks’ roster or not (not), they have a ton of offensive talent. From Anthony and Rose, to Brandon Jennings and Porzingis, they shouldn’t, in the most fundamental sense, need anyone to carry them—least of all a 21-year-old who is still trying to put his entire arsenal together.
But that doesn’t mean Porzingis shouldn’t be a more prominent offensive option, because he should. No one’s saying the Knicks need to force-feed him the ball on every possession, but Porzingis is averaging fewer shot attempts per 36 minutes as a sophomore than he did as a rookie. His usage rate has dipped, too.
That’s no doubt a byproduct of the personnel, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Noah and Jennings are the two best players on the roster at finding Porzingis. So not only should his usage rate be higher, but Rose and Anthony must consciously look for him more. He is, after all, this team’s future.
And while that might not be important to everyone—Rose is a free agent after this season, Melo is a trade demand waiting to happen—it should matter to Hornacek and the rest of the organization.
