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Since playing his first game in the NBA back in 2015, Kristaps Porzingis has turned a lot of his doubters into believers with his strong play and unique skill set. Coming from Latvia, he has also drawn a lot of comparison to Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki for his ability to score in different ways, including his outside shooting.
The former MVP and one-time champion recently gave his thoughts about Porzingis' game. The Mavs star talked about how the New York Knicks unicorn plays more defense than him, and also added, via Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he thinks Porzingis is ahead of schedule in his development.
Article Continues Below“He plays a lot more defense than I ever have, I’ll tell you that,’’ Nowitzki said. “He’s amazing because he’s got great timing with the long arms on the shot blocks coming out of nowhere. Offensively, he shoots it so easily from deep. He’s scary. He’s added more off-the-dribble now, more turnarounds in the post. He’s going to be a walking mismatch for a long time.”
“He’s way ahead of the curve. My first year I was struggling straight out of Germany and he had that great rookie year. If he stays injury-free, working like that — and I know he will — the sky’s going to be the limit.’’
Dirk Nowitzki's comments are certainly very high praises for the Knicks big man especially from a player with his stature. The Mavs icon has won almost all awards the league has to offer, giving him a deep understanding of what it takes to be successful at the highest level.
With how Kristaps Porzingis has been playing so far, he definitely has what it takes to match or even surpass what Dirk Nowitzki has done in his career. If Porzingis can also improve on his leadership, it will benefit the Knicks more and could start the turnaround for the franchise.
