• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

NEW YORK — In most sports particularly in basketball people are always making comparisons from old to new.  Most of the time it’s based on a body type and skin color but not in a racially biased way.  The comparison sometimes levy great pressure upon a young player to have to live up to certain standards.  That could be a good thing if the young player is able to handle it and feed off of it as motivation.

Kristaps Porzingis, the New York Knick’s hot-shot power forward from Latvia is turning out to be that type of quality player that is able to handle and absorb the comparisons to great players.  One of Kritaps’s (aka KP) idols growing up was Dallas Maverick future Hall of Famer, Dirk Nowitzi. “I had never met him,” KP said regarding his first ever game against Nowitzki. “After the game, he just said: ‘keep working and focus.”  Those words in essence would seem like an admonishment to another young player to get their act together, but not Kristaps, who Dirk added, “He’s for real. We’ve said it before. He’s tougher than you think, long, athletic, can put the ball on the floor, made three’s today.

KP was anxious to finally play against the man that he’s been compared to for so long. But, Dirk is who he is for a reason and not just a season.  “It was fun at first,” KP said. “He showed why he’s Dirk Nowitzki.  In the first half, I let him shoot open shots and of course he made them.”  Maverick coach Rick Carlisle added, “Dirk got us off to a great start. He loves these types of situations; it’s really great to see taking the challenge of a young guy like this.  Porzingis is a special player and the city of New York has Phil Jackson to thank for that one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni2SNuaLOWg

Actually it’s Clarence Gaines Jr (the son of legendary coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines of Winston-Salem University) to sang the praises of Porzingis, even suggesting that he would have tried to convince the Knicks to take KP with the first pick of the NBA Draft even ahead of Karl Anthony-Towns. Gaines is a lead scout and advisor to Phil Jackson.

There were some things that KP said he learned from Dirk en route to the Mavericks beating the Knicks, 104-97 and bringing the Knicks’ home record to 5-7 and 10-12 overall.  “He’s not the most athletic, he’s not the fastest guy on the court, but somehow he always gets his shot off.  He’s so smart. When you just watch him play and how he tricks the opposite p layer. He might be walking around and then there’s a screen for him and an open shot. Those kind of things that come with experience; but those are the things I can learn from him.”

Dirk realizes that KP has a long ways to go but is impressed with the fact that he heard how much of a gym rat he is and how level headed he remains in the midst of all the fanfare that comes his way.

The Knicks have a gem as it’s been said time and time again, now they have to continue to improve as a team to make it all worthwhile.  One of the things Knicks coach Derek Fisher laments because of their upcoming road trip beginning in Utah on Wednesday night is, “unfortunately, we cannot practice. We are having a hard time sustaining the intensity level that the game demands. For now you have to continue to push through it.”

KP had 28 points in 35 minutes of play while Dirk recorded 25 points and six rebounds.

You can follow Jerald on Twitter @JerryHoover65

By Jerald Hoover

Editor-in-chief and Senior Writer; Professor Jerald L. Hoover is an instructor at LIU-Brooklyn where he teaches Strategic Sport Communication and Sports Management.

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