Some NBA fans may have forgotten that Kristaps Porzingis is set to make his Dallas Mavericks debut on opening day against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the new Mavs centerpiece have put himself back on the map with his declaration of intent for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Porzingis asked his followers on Instagram to ask him about anything under the sun and responded to a few of them. One fan asked him if he would rather be in the All-NBA Third Team or the All-Defensive team.
The big man from Latvia didn't hesitate to tell the fans what he felt was more important for him with his reply.
“All Defensive! DPOY is a goal of mine!!”
It's not difficult to see the Latvian big man dethroning Rudy Gobert for the DPOY award. He has the tools to become successful on defense. Standing at 7'3″ and weighing 240lbs, he can duke it out with the league's top big men.
His stats also speak for his case. Before tearing his ACL in 2017-18, he averaged 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 0.8 steals a night. Adding that to his 22.7 points, he was almost a lock to the All-Star game before getting injured.
Moreover, he's impressing his new teammates now that he's healthy to play ball again.
“He's 7-foot-3 and he shoots it from anywhere, with ease,” Dwight Powell said, per CBS Sports. “It's kind of hard to affect that shot. He's moving well, he's at full strength. He's looking very good out there. We're all very excited.”
There are plenty of reasons for Mavs fans to look forward to coming into the season. If their new European big man is gunning for DPOY honors, this bodes nothing but great things for the Mavs.
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