The New York Knicks have put a lot of their eggs in one basket, and that is Kristaps Porzingis. New York is intent on making Porzingis the future of the franchise and letting him develop by playing in NBA games so much so that they were OK with not having a meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge. Porzingis was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, so the Knicks see him as a future star, but they were aware he was going to have to put on some weight in order for that to happen, and Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that he has already added 11 pounds.
Porzingis was listed at 235 pounds when he was drafted, which at 7-foot-3 is extremlely thin especially when you consider how big the guys he will be playing against are. Porzingis stated that his goal was to add at least 10 pounds before the season started, but he has reportedly already gained 11 with a little less than a month before training camp starts.
Not only is it a good sign for Knicks fans that Porzingis is putting on weight because it will help him on the court, but it also shows that the 20-year-old is willing to work his tail off so that he can be as good as possible. All along Porzingis has said the right things despite the outcry from Knicks fans that he was a bad pick and that he will be a bust, and he seems very intent on going out there and proving he can play in the NBA at a high level.
The majority of the things being said about Porzingis since he was drafted seem to have been negative, including from Phil Jackson, the guy who drafted him, saying that the Latvian big man might be "too tall" for the NBA. Porzingis hasn't let his detractors halt his work ethic though, as he is reportedly working on his post game in addition to putting on weight so he can be effective as rookie.
It remains to be seen whether Porzingis will become the player the Knicks hope, but at this point all signs seem to be pointing in the right direction. Yes, European players have a tendency to be busts, but Porzingis seems to have a great mindset and tremendous work ethic that it would be a surprise if he isn't at least a pretty good NBA player.
