NBA Draft results 2015: Kristaps Porzingis picked by New York Knicks
The Latvian teenager is headed to New York City.
Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis is heading to the New York Knicks with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Porzingis is the first European player selected Thursday.
Porzingis, 19, has emerged as one of the biggest and most talented prospects in Europe. Measuring in at 7’2 and 230 pounds, he combines the prototypical size for an NBA big man with some impressive athleticism. He should be able to gain strength as he gets older.
2015 NBA Draft
A year ago, Porzingis declared for the NBA Draft before pulling his name out to spend another year playing with Sevilla in Spain. He was considered a probable lottery pick in 2014 and only helped his stock with a strong year between the Spanish ACB league and the Eurocup. His stock grew further during an impressive workout campaign, and only Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor were drafted higher.
Seth Rosenthal of Posting and Toasting, SB Nation’s Knicks blog, has some mixed feelings about the selection:
How do I feel? Okay! Porzingis seems fun, but he seems like he’s got a long way to go. He’s super tall, he’s got a ton of offensive skills, but he might be too gaunt to be an NBA big man at this moment.
Rosenthal also says he “wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Knicks trade this pick very, very soon.”
It’s been a long time since New York had a star 7-footer, and the team is hoping that Porzingis can develop into that kind of player (unless he’s traded). The Latvian big man will need time to build strength and learn the intricacies of the NBA, but the tools are there for him to develop into a great two-way big man.
Knicks fans on site, however, were not thrilled with the pick.
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