New York Knicks center Enes Kanter has played well since being traded to the Knicks from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This season, he has averaged 14.0 points and 10.1 rebounds, with a player efficiency rating of 24.0. While Kanter may lack skills on the defensive end, he can certainly impact the game on the offensive end.
But it's that PER that's the most intriguing. This is the third season that Kanter has a PER of above 23. That feat has only been matched by one other European player in NBA history.
The player? Oh, you know, only Dirk Nowitzki, the best European player of all time.
Per HoopsHype's Twitter account:
Enes Kanter is in his third season with PER above 23. Dirk Nowitzki is the only other Euro player to accomplish that more than twice.
Do as you please with that information. pic.twitter.com/nsg4a6W2Vi
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) January 31, 2018
PER is an interesting stat. It incorporates a variety of factors and comes up with a number that is supposed to show the value of a player. For context, James Harden of the Houston Rockets leads the NBA in PER at 30.3. Kanter is 11th in this statistical category.
Kanter is not the same player as Nowitzki. Not even close. But the PER numbers are not ones to take lightly.
The Knicks center has proven that he is a very good player in the NBA. He changes the complexion of games on most nights on the offensive end, and he is a genuine problem for opponents, especially on the boards.
Perhaps Kanter is looking to make the case that he is also one of the best European players to ever play in the NBA. No one has said that or is even suggesting it at this point in his career.
But if Kanter plays for a while and continues his productions, there's no reason to think Kanter can't be at least in the conversation.
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