Kristaps Porzingis mimics Dirk Nowitzki's signature shot, stares him down
New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis possesses one of the most fascinating skill sets of any young player in the NBA. He has the potential to be elite at both ends of the floor, the sort of matchup nightmare who can only be contained and will never be stopped. Despite all the issues and challenges facing the Knicks, Porzingis lends plenty of hope for the future. He could be a true superstar.
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The possibilities are varied enough that Porzingis has turned to another unique European star, Dirk Nowitzki, for potential guidance. The 21-year-old Latvian said Sunday that he hopes to learn directly from the future Hall of Famer at some point. From Al Iannazzone for Newsday:
They will try to get together after this season. Porzingis hopes to learn “a signature move” from Nowitzki, whose one-legged fadeaway jump shot has helped him score more than 29,000 points and win an NBA championship and league MVP award. […]
“His turnaround jump shot is unguardable, basically,” Porzingis said. “That’s one thing I can work on and maybe steal a move or two from him and add to my game. A signature move, I’d like to see if I’m capable of doing that.
“There are a lot of little details I can ask him about the game, about off-the-court stuff. He’s been in the league forever. From a guy like that with a lot of experience, there’s a lot to learn. I hope I have that chance.”
Porzingis can certainly learn a lot from such a legend, but his performance in Monday’s game against Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks suggests that he’s already actively learning from his prospective teacher. Just look at his version of Nowitzki’s stepback jumper over Dorian Finney-Smith and Wesley Matthews in the fourth quarter:
Porzingis had a message for Dirk after the shot, too:
Dirk says Kristaps Porzingis stared him down on the bench after hitting a one-legged in homage to Dirk tonight: "That was cold-blooded."
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) November 15, 2016
It was far from the young big man’s only highlight of the night. Porzingis was New York’s best player in the 93-77 win, putting up 24 points (8-of-16 FG) and 11 rebounds alongside a solid defensive effort. Perhaps most importantly, Porzingis did the bulk of it at the center position. After going down 23-15 after one quarter, head coach Jeff Hornacek shifted the Knicks lineup to put Porzingis at the pivot and Carmelo Anthony (24 points) at power forward to vary their options. It was just one game against a hurting side, but the Knicks looked reinvigorated and capable of much more. Porzingis dominated in the position most analysts think he’s best suited for, and it would not be a surprise to see him play there for more minutes very soon.
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Nowitzki missed his fourth consecutive game with a sore Achilles, but his visit to New York City wasn’t a total waste of time. It looks like he found another student to instruct next offseason:
Dirk Nowitzki signing some shoes for Ben Stiller after Mavs loss to Knicks pic.twitter.com/5v1t7EkUKD
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) November 15, 2016
Christine Taylor does not seem to believe her 5-7 husband has what it takes to succeed in the league. But he’ll prove her wrong.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
