Kristaps Porzingis keeps showing he’s wise beyond his years

“I have to do everything that’s in my hands to turn those booing fans into clapping fans,” Porzingis said afterwards.

But even his staunchest supporters couldn’t have imagined that he’d prove those doubters wrong this quickly.

Those who studied Porzingis knew that Phil Jackson’s decision to select him so high in the draft wasn’t the gamble many thought. Athletic, 20-year-old seven-footers that can shoot from deep and put the ball on the floor don’t come around often.

Porzingis didn’t spend the past season toiling away on the bench of some low-level European outpost. He was playing more than 20 minutes per game and scoring in double digits in Spain’s ACB League, widely considered the second-best basketball league in the world.

It took less than one NBA game for Porzingis to provide a glimpse of his potential.

But while the many poster-worthy put-back dunks were electrifying, they also overshadowed Porzingis’ most impressive attributes. Just 12 games into his still-embryonic NBA career, Porzingis has shown he’s much more than a good athlete. He already knows how to play the NBA game. Being able to properly time an off-ball cut is a skill many veterans don’t have.

Porzingis also has strong hands, and unlike many young big men, he doesn’t panic when he receives the ball in traffic under the rim. This is a very difficult catch and finish.

He’s already figured out how even the smallest of movements can give him more space to shoot and throw off a defender. Notice how he faked the pick-and-roll to throw Cody Zeller off before fading for an open three.

Even his highlight plays contain subtle acts of brilliance. The strength and balance needed to complete this layup are what stands out, but so does Porzingis’ jump. He’s able to avoid an over-the-back call by timing his leap perfectly.

His footwork is also light years ahead of most players his age. Dozens of All-Stars have migrated south to learn Hakeem Olajuwon’s signature Dream Shake move. Porzingis doesn’t need that tutorial.

There was a concern before the season that Knicks coach Derek Fisher needed to spoonfeed Porzingis minutes to develop him at the expense of winning games. Instead, Porzingis has immediately become one of the Knicks’ best and most essential players. The team is six points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, per NBA.com. He gives them punch on offense and length on defense. When he sits, the Knicks often go into a rut.

That certainly was the case Tuesday night against the Hornets. When Porzingis went to the bench in the first quarter for his first breather of the game, the Knicks had a seven-point lead. When he returned in the second quarter, the team trailed by eight. A similar situation played out in the fourth quarter, where Fisher’s decision to only play Porzingis five minutes allowed Charlotte to cut the Knicks’ double-digit lead to four.

“Everybody was saying that I was a project, to wait a few years,” Porzingis said Tuesday following the win, via the New York Times. “I will get better in a few years, but I knew I was able to play right now. That was my mentality.”

But no move has been bigger than the addition of Porzingis. Not only has he made the team’s future brighter, he’s also immediately turned the Knicks into a playoff contender.

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