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KRISTAPS PORZINGIS – 7’0″ POWER FORWARD, SEVILLE, 19 YEARS OLD
Offensive Game – Kristaps Porzingis is without a doubt one of the most gifted offensive forwards in the draft and arguably in recent times. He is skinny, yet finds himself being a thorn in the side of European defenses. He can consistently drain the 3 point shot and is shooting an impressive 37% from beyond in 45 games at Sevilla in Spain. He is a creative player who has been utilized in a variety of plays in Europe, such as coming off screens and being the screener in a pick and roll game. Porzingis is without a doubt one of the most gifted offensive forwards in the European League. He is not a terrific offensive rebounder since he is usually on the perimeter; Porzingis is still not the type of forward that is going to be crashing the boards. His speed will make him more useful in stopping fastbreaks. His gray area is in terms of post play, but he has been working hard on that with some of the best European coaches.
Defensive Game – Porzingis is a slim player as I have mentioned before, so this doesn’t make him a powerful defensive forward. However he has real raw potential there; he is capable at guarding stretch fours, and towards the end of the Euroleague season he began to establish himself as one of the elite shot blockers in the game. He has an insane wingspan and can be useful at defending fastbreaks. His main weakness defensively is in the low post, as he often gets bullied down low and on the boards due to his lack of strength. However if he is paired with a tough center, this shouldn’t be a problem. Porzingis is proving to struggle on the pick and roll defense as he often leaves himself exposed by getting too tight to the perimeter shooter. Some of the guards, such as Kyrie Irving and Mike Conley, may take advantage of this.
NBA Potential – I see Porzingis as one of the best players in this draft, especially because stretch fours are becoming so much more important in the NBA. They create space in the paint for big men to operate and for guards to drive into. If Porzingis develops properly, then I have no doubt that he can be the next Dirk Nowitzki. He just needs to improve his defense and find some consistency in the low post.
NBA Player Comparison – Dirk Nowitzki is probably the best comparison to Porzingis. Dirk isn’t an overly physical player, but his game is all about finesse. In addition to this he is also a great perimeter shooter like Porzingis. The worst case scenario for Porzingis is Ryan Anderson, with the best case scenario being Dirk Nowitzki.
NBA Readiness – Porzingis is only 19 years old, so I doubt he will be a huge player as soon as he enters the league. He will need to adapt to the physicality of the league and will need to be trained in defending pick and rolls. Porzingis may need to add post moves to his game before he becomes a starting stretch four in the League. As for a long term projection, the future is extremely bright for this young European big man.
