Kristaps Porzingis is already the New York Knicks’ best player.
That’s a fact, and it’s not a shot at Carmelo Anthony, who remains one of the best scorers in the game. It’s just that Porzingis’ talent is harder, if impossible, to replicate. He is essentially a 7’3″ wing with post-up skills and the ability to, one day, anchor a top-tier defense.
But if you think Porzingis’ rise through the NBA ranks has made it so the Knicks are officially his team, well, you’re not wrong. You’re not technically right, either.
Allow Porzingis to explain, per ESPN.com’s Ian Begley:
The debate over whether Carmelo Anthony needs to “pass the torch” to Kristaps Porzingis and take a back seat to the young big man on offense continues. But Porzingis himself isn’t paying it any attention.
“I don’t really react to it,” Porzingis said Tuesday. “That’s not something I’m worried about. I read social media and Twitter and all that. But a lot of that is just in and out. And I don’t really pay attention to it. It doesn’t really matter. All that really matters is [to] win games. And as long as we’re winning it’s not going to be a debate about whose team is it or whatever. So that’s the main focus.”
This is a smart response.
Sure, the question needed to be asked. But there was no benefit to Poringis giving a real answer. If he named himself, it’s interpreted as a shot against Melo. If he named Melo, it could have been (wrongly) interpreted as a sign that the doesn’t have the killer instinct necessary to lead a team. Defaulting to typical player-speak, by focusing on wins, was the best possible thing Porzingis could have done.
His reluctance to elaborate, of course, won’t stop us all from talking. There will be those who still see the Knicks as Melo’s team, and optically, they’re not wrong. But in terms of importance and future promise, this is Porzingis’ show now.
