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Come Fan with UsFriday, June 19, 2026

Kristaps Porzingis is already the Knicks’ best player

Here’s how the Knicks have changed their offense to feature him

When Kristaps Porzingis was drafted, we thought he’d be a project. He instead started most of his rookie season season. Coming into his second year, we expected steady improvement. Instead, he’s become a full-fledged star already.

The Knicks have quickly realized this and adjusted their original plans. Porzingis, and not Carmelo Anthony, is the new hub of New York’s offense. The pick and roll, and not Phil Jackson’s beloved Triangle, is the team’s dominant offensive system. And because of that, New York is pushing for home-court advantage in a crowded Eastern Conference.

In this video, we show how new coach Jeff Hornacek is using Porzingis’ unique skills to unlock his potential and power New York’s offense. We show how the power of a simple pick and pop scrambles defenses in ways that compromise their shape. We show how Porzingis has not only improved his own skill set, but also how his mere presence creates opportunities for Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings.

Finally, we show how Porzingis is doing all of this despite still having so much room for improvement. Already, he’s one of the league’s deadliest offensive weapons. What happens when his potential catches up? The league is in big, big trouble.

This is what makes Porzingis the NBA’s truest unicorn.

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