Knicks analysts were caught bashing Kristaps Porzingis while off air

New York Knicks game analysts were caught bashing forward/unicorn Kristaps Porzingis off the air but with the audio still rolling.

For broadcasters covering NBA games, they are expected to give their expert opinion about players and how the game is going. That is the reason why a lot of them are former NBA players, as they have experience playing at the highest level, and have a deeper understanding of the game than others.

During Sunday’s preseason game between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, Wally Szczerbiark and Alan Hahn were tasked to cover it. Just like any regular game, there were commercial breaks, that allowed them to take breathers during timeouts. However, the two decided to continue discussing the game, and shared their thoughts about being unhappy with Kristaps Porzingis' performance on the night. What they were not aware about was their microphones were still on, and their conversation was heard by the viewers despite already showing the TV advertisements.

“The other thing you could do is just kill Porzingis for being minus-20 in 16 minutes,” Hahn said during the commercial break. “Dude, like come on, man. You’re a star. This is what you’re doing? You’re just out there? (He’s got) a lot to learn.”

“Minus-20 — for him, he should never let his team…,” Szczerbiak said as the next advertisement started to play.

https://twitter.com/LifeAsKorleone/status/917190718111744000

To be fair with the analysts, the 7-foot-3 Latvian big man had a poor performance, which made it easier for the Nets to blow out the Knicks, 117-83. Porzingis finished the game with only six points, on 2-of-7 shooting from the field, to go along with five rebounds and three blocks. It was the biggest margin of victory in the preseason so far, as the game quickly became a one-sided affair, with the lack of scoring from the visiting team.

Kristaps Porzingis, knicks — Tony Gutierrez/The Associated Press

Now without Carmelo Anthony in their fold, the Knicks now consider Porzingis as their franchise player, and he will be their cornerstone for the years to come. With the comments made by Szczerbiak and Hahn, it certainly goes to show that they expect a lot more from him, especially with the talent he has. However, it's also interesting to find out if the 22-year-old will fire back at them, or just let his game do the talking, by playing better moving forward.