Kristaps Porzingis says his new role with the Knicks has him ‘so tired right now’

Kristaps Porzingis is the headliner for the New York Knicks now. The offense runs through him and the team. The Knicks struggled on Wednesday night against the Wizards and Porzingis didn’t look like himself.

Part of the reason why is that Porzingis is gassed, according to a report from the New York Post.

“I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m so tired right now,’’ Porzingis said in the visitors’ locker room at Capital One Arena. “I have one day to rest my legs and get back and play better and have more energy and try to bring the team’s energy up. We’re in a tough stretch. The mental part doesn’t help at all. When it’s mentally tough, you don’t have it in you.”

The Knicks are coming off a stretch where they’ve played six games in nine days and Tim Hardaway Jr. has been out of the lineup. That’s a lot for the OG Unicorn to bear in just over a week.

You rarely hear players admit that they’re tired or that they need rest, but it’s reasonable to think that Porzingis could need a period to cool off. His usage rate on the season is at 32.7 percent — that’s up from 24 percent last season. There’s no Carmelo Anthony to soak up possessions when he’s on the floor.

While he’s been incredibly productive, it’s clear that the increase in possessions is taking its toll — especially on Porzingis’ 7’3 frame. He’s already played 1,035 minutes this season while maintaining that usage rate. Only Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Yao Ming have been able to do that as players 7’1 or taller. Shaq is the only one who has managed to do it more than once.

Plus, Porzingis is anemic. He discussed his struggles with anemia at length with ESPN’s Ian Begley.

“I would run three times up and down the court in practice, and I would be dead tired. Not sweating at all. But dead tired, breathing like crazy,” he said. “And it was just the worst feeling ever. I was really struggling.

Porzingis has his anemia under control with iron pills, but it could be another factor in his fatigue.

Either way, this is something the Knicks should monitor. It might be good to get him a few spots of rest here and there to prepare for a final playoff push.

Luckily for the Knicks, they’ve got three games over the next six days, so maybe they’ll be able to buy him some rest then.