Is there a Latvian arms race going on right now in New York? We beg to ask because the Brooklyn Nets used a second-round pick to get Latvian Rodions Kurucs during Thursday’s NBA Draft.
As what most NBA fans know, the New York Knicks do have their own Latvian in the form of a unicorn — 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis. For Kurucs, though, he’s way better than his fellow Latvian, saying during his introduction to the media by the Nets on Friday that he is going to “beat [Kristaps’] ass”, per Anthony Puccio of SB Nation.
Rodions Kurucs on Kristaps Porzingis: “[playing against] I’m gonna beat his ass.”
Kurucs originally declared for the 2017 NBA Draft but backed out to play some more basketball in Europe. Now that he’s finally in the NBA, it’s time for him to show that he can be just as good as Porzingis, the man he just talked junked to on Friday. Kurucs, of course, was only kidding, but he certainly got people’s attention.
Like Porzingis, Kurucs is a lanky stretch-big man with a nice touch from behind the arc. Standing 6-foot-9 and with a 190-pound frame, Kurucs is not expected to make an immediate impact, but there’s an opportunity for him to shine with the Nets, who are still in the process of rebuilding.
Kurucs may have to wait for a long time before facing Kristaps Porzingis in an official NBA game, though, as the Knicks star is not expected to play at least until December due to a knee injury.
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