Is Kristaps Porzingis a Franchise Player?
Phil Jackson and the New York Knickerbockers have been in the news because Jackson has identified Carmelo Anthony has the problem with the struggling franchise, and wants to give Anthony away, so he can build around Porzingis. New York is called the 'Mecca of Basketball', so it's understandable that historically their teams have been overrated. There is no dispute that Porzingis is a good player, and that he has potential, but is he really a building block, or just a good piece?
It is important to remember that Porzingis was booed by the fans on draft night. That is important to remember because it means the expectations were low. So, with the low expectations, it is probable by exceeding those expectations, there is an over estimated view of what he can become. It is tough to gauge potential improvement in big men because typically it doesn't happen for whatever reason. Dwight Howard never developed an offensive game, Anthony Davis hasn't 'grew' into his body, and even Karl Anthony Towns isn't living up to expectations. But for some reason the Knicks are all about his development.
Porzingis has rare size at 7’3”, but so did Shawn Bradley. He doesn’t really have a world class skill. He is a jack of all trades, master of none, at this point in his career. He has a decent jump shot, but he’s not a knock-down shooter. He has good footwork, but he’s not strong enough to dominate the post. It's not a knock, but Porzingis is very similar to Bradley, even if no one wants to acknowledge it. Porzingis has put up decent numbers, but they are as a secondary option. Despite the grief that Carmelo receives, he is still a dominant offensive force that demands a double team, and Porzingis benefits from the attention that he receives. If you take that away, it's going to be even uglier than it is.
What Phil Jackson is doing is unfair to Porzingis. If Carmelo Anthony is traded, it's hard to fathom Porzingis having a long NBA career. Losing can wear on a player (see Michael Carter Williams) The consensus is that he is the future for the Knicks, but if that is the case then how bright is that future. It's not like there's a plethora of other young players on the Knicks, so why does Phil want to make a move now? The irony is this did something similar in 2015 when he sent the Cleveland Cavaliers Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith for nothing. The team still hasn't recovered. Phil and the New York Knicks organization need to be very careful, or they might dig themselves a hole that the organization will never get out of.
