New York Knicks third-year forward Kristaps Porzingis has seen progressive development in his game through the first few weeks of this season.
His continued improvement comes after another full offseason to work on his body and skill set, which included taking up boxing with Lativan WBC Cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis to better prepare for the physicality that the NBA entails, according to Scoop Malinowski of the Ring Observer.
“I love boxing and I wanted to learn about the sport more,” Porzingis told Marc Berman of the New York Post in the Nov. 19 edition of the newspaper. “I worked with (Briedis) for two weeks straight , (I did) everything a boxer does, boxing workouts, lifting weights, neck drills, strengthen my neck, then running and cardio. In two weeks I did everything a boxer does.”
This has certainly paid diligence for Porzingis this season as he has seen a significant uptick in production this season averaging 27.8 points on 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc. He has been a huge bright spot for the Knicks helping lead to them an encouraging 8-7 start to the year.
Porzingis' commitment to his health and strength should be an encouraging sign of what may come down the road. He has taken an extra step toward preparing himself in the manner that players wouldn't normally in their offseason workouts.
If he continues to take measures like this during the offseason, it could help set the table for a highly successful and promising NBA career.
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