Kristaps Porzingis got the last laugh in his Summer League matchup against fellow top pick Jahlil Okafor, but only after a game that revealed both players' talents and flaws. In the latest showcase of the league's up-and-coming talent in Las Vegas, Porzingis' last-minute block of Okafor in overtime helped clinch the Knicks' 84-81 win over the 76ers.
Kristaps Porzingis, Jahlil Okafor show off opposing skill sets in Las Vegas
Porzingis came away with some impressive highlights in a matchup of top draft picks Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Porzingis and Okafor are two of the biggest names playing in Las Vegas right now, and at times it was easy to see why as both players showed legit NBA skills Tuesday night. Whether it was the Latvian big man stepping out to hit a 20-foot jumper in Okafor’s face or the former Duke star flashing his tantalizing post game, there were a slew of reasons to get excited about the two top draft picks.
The most impressive plays of the game came on the defensive end, however, where Porzingis rejected Okafor in the paint several times. The biggest came in the last minute of overtime to help preserve the Knicks’ two-point lead:
A small group of New York fans could be heard chanting for the No. 4 overall pick afterwards, and even Okafor sounded impressed by Porzingis, who blocked him three times in the game.
”He’s really good,’’ Okafor told the New York Post. “He’s a top-five pick for a reason. He’s a helluva player. Looks like he could do everything and he has the respect of his teammates.’’
Okafor finished the game with 18 points on 8-of-18 shooting, but it was easy to come away from watching impressed by Porzingis. He recorded nine points, three rebounds, three blocks and three assists in 21 minutes, and while the seven personal fouls underscores his need for more discipline, the 7-footer’s potential as a defensive player is exciting to see.
Okafor, meanwhile, continued to show the deft post-scoring skills that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. We already knew he could do that, though, so it largely got overshadowed by all the great things Porzingis was doing. His ability to step out and his jumpers also underscored another flaw in Okafor’s game, which is his discomfort with playing defense on the perimeter. Here, Okafor steps away from Porzingis when he has the ball near the three-point line, which leaves the Knicks big man wide open to nail a shot from distance:
Both players showed potential in their first meeting, but like on the scoreboard, Porzingis seemed to come away on top. In three games, he’s only averaging 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks per game, but with performances like this one, he’s still making an impression.
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