Perhaps one of the biggest wild cards entering the 2019-20 NBA campaign is Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis, who was traded to Dallas back in January, is yet to play a game as a member of the Mavericks, as he spent all of this past season recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in February 2018.
Obviously, none of us know where Porzingis is physically right now. Only Porzingis himself truly knows, but what we do know is that he will certainly be ready for opening night, and that is incredibly exciting for the Mavs.
There is no question that when healthy, Porzingis is one of the brightest young stars in basketball and has the potential to be a top-five player in the NBA at some point.
The 23-year-old is also the most special big man talent in the league that includes Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns. He can post up. He can shoot. He can dribble. He can defend. He can do everything.
Let's remember that Porzingis is 7-foot-3 and can run the floor like a guard. This kid is an unbelievable athletic specimen, and so long as he can get healthy and stay healthy, the sky is the limit for him.
But realistically, we don't know what to expect from The Unicorn in his first year in Dallas.
This is a guy who has not played basketball in a year-and-a-half, so there is going to be some rust. Taking that into account, Mavericks fans should not panic if Porzingis does not get off to a great start. It would actually be surprising if he doesn't struggle.
But if and when he gets right? The Mavs will suddenly have one of the best one-two punches in basketball, as a tandem of Porzingis and Luka Doncic sounds like a nightmare for opposing defenses.
You thought Doncic was good? Just wait until Porzingis refreshes your memory when he gets back out on to the floor and hits five threes while getting to the free-throw line 10 times in a game and serving as a one-man wrecking crew defensively.
Sure, there are areas where Porzingis needs work. His shot selection can stand to improve, he can become a better passer and his pick-and-roll defense definitely has room for improvement.
However, there is no denying that Porzingis is a generational talent who could represent the next big step for the Mavs in terms of getting back to the promised land.
Given that the Mavericks were unable to land any top free agents, their trade to acquire Porzingis looms that much larger, as Dallas will still begin next season with a new star on its team regardless of striking out this summer.
And you know what else? Porzingis is motivated. He is motivated not only to stick it to the New York Knicks, but to also silence any fans and media pundits who may have doubted him along the way.
For example, just recently, Kendrick Perkins called Porzingis a “diva.” Don't think for a second that Porzingis doesn't have that on his radar, and don't think for a second that he doesn't want to show the Knicks what they are going to be missing for the next decade.
Again, there really is no ceiling for Porzingis. It's ultimately up to him and his body. Hopefully, the latter holds up and allows the former to take his game to new heights.
Follow Us
Subscribe