When the New York Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis with the No.4 pick in the NBA Draft, the forward was met with a shower of boos. Fans were not happy considering the team had been linked to every big name coming into the league this year. However, team president Phil Jackson made it clear that he has all the confidence in the world that Porzingis will be a star for the franchise and so far that is being proven true as the forward makes his summer league debut.
According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com, Porzingis is impressing early for the Knicks in summer league. His NBA debut featured 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks in just 18 minutes of play. Head coach Derek Fisher raved about how aggressive the forward was on the court along with the solid shooting he put up. The Knicks cannot afford for Porzingis to not be a star and so far Fisher likes what he sees.
"[Porzingis] has the potential to be really special on the defensive end," Fisher said, via ESPN.com. "There were some things that he recognized and made adjustments on and supporting his teammates and switching out on smaller players, using his length to protect the basket, and that's something that we're going to be really excited about as we go forward. I thought on the defensive end he impacted the game in a major way. He'll have the ability to do more things offensively over time. Execution in summer league will never be anywhere close to where it should be."
It is unclear whether or not the Knicks plan for the rookie to star immediately. According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, Porzingis will be battling with Derrick Williams for the starting spot while Kyle O'Quinn and the recently signed Lance Thomas also aim for court time. If Porzingis can prove that he is a real talent and not the second coming of Andrea Bargnani, the Knicks might not hesitate to insert him immediately.
The same can be said for point guard Jerian Grant. The starting point guard spot is unknown at the moment. Jose Calderon showed almost nothing last year as he missed a large amount of time due to injuries. Langston Galloway was the second-half star in the New York, but is Jackson ready to trust him with the offense? Grant's debut was quiet for the Knicks, but according to the New York Post, the rookie will be given every chance possible to compete for the starting job in 2015.
