Coming off a stellar rookie season where he turned a lot of doubters into believers, Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play even better than how he did last year.

But despite the huge expectations on the 21-year-old Latvian, his New York Knicks teammate, Carmelo Anthony, is letting everyone know that they have to be realistic. Per Marc Berman of the New York Post:

“There’s still a learning curve for him. Last year, nobody knew what to expect — all new to everybody. This year, he’s going to be a focal point of the scouting report, trying to figure out how to stop him. It’s a matter of being smarter and learning the game more.

“He still doesn’t know the game that much. He’s still a young, second-year player. We put too much pressure on him to kind of be great so fast. I just want him to get the opportunity to grow as a player. He doesn’t know everything right now. He’s just 21, second year in the league.”

He understands the situation Porzingis is in, being a rookie standout himself dating back 12 seasons ago, and the pressure to produce big numbers in every game. But Anthony just wants to make sure he focuses on the task at hand and that is how to play alongside the key pieces added to their roster and, of course, making the playoffs.

“I understand his situation, the pressures he’s dealing with, the pressure that’s put on him because I deal with those pressures, If I can help somebody else handle those pressures, I’ll do that.’’

“I think this year will take a little bit more communication from myself and Kristaps, just with the other guys. The reads that will be out there playing with a guy like Derrick [Rose], Brandon [Jennings], and [Joakim] Noah, who’s a hell of a passer. I think it’s going to be just communicating with him, watching more film with him, try to create another type of connection on the court with the new guys we have.”

Porzingis also knows that he still has a lot to improve on and realizes how much work he has to put in to make him a complete player.

“I still have a lot more room to grow physically. With every offseason, I’ll put in work and make sure I’m better the next season. I still have a long way to go to get to my prime physically.”

With Anthony and fellow veteran players on the roster, along with the guidance of new head coach Jeff Hornacek, Kristaps Porzingis will have a good number of eyes to keep him grounded and help him become successful in the NBA for years to come.