{"id":2628,"date":"2016-11-23T13:13:42","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T18:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=2628"},"modified":"2016-11-23T13:13:42","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T18:13:42","slug":"kristaps-offense-set-to-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/11\/23\/kristaps-offense-set-to-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Kristaps Porzingis Offense Set to Go"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kristaps\u00a0Porzingis<\/strong> reminded everyone he is loved in New York<\/strong>. He scored 29 points twice as a rookie. The New York Knicks<\/strong> didn\u2019t have to wait long to see him flash potential again. It took eleven games, six in which\u00a0he scored 20 or more points. Finally, he landed a signature game. Porzingis scored 25 points in the first half against the Detroit Pistons<\/strong>. He missed just three shots in that half, and finished\u00a0with a career-high 35 points. New York fans could glimpse the future. However, Porzingis downplayed his role in his post-game interview. He deferred to his teammates’ help and team ball. He even dismissed the\u00a0MVP<\/strong> chants for him. Porzingis proved himself to be a model teammate. Recently, he spoke about how\u00a0Carmelo Anthony<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0has helped his growth:<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout Melo,\u201d Porzingis said, \u201cit would be so much more difficult [for me] to get 30 points, or whatever. People don\u2019t realize that. He draws a lot of attention. He\u2019s the main focus for the other team. That opens stuff for me. Without him it would be much more difficult. I\u2019m happy to have aggressive guys like him and [Derrick] Rose so I can get those open looks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is Anthony Holding Him Back?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But is that really true? Not surprisingly, on Porzingis’s career night, he got the most touches. Not far behind him was Derrick Rose<\/a><\/strong>, and only then do we see Carmelo Anthony. It is not that big a deal. On a career night, Porzingis had the most touches. It is to be expected. Except, in his\u00a0second-biggest scoring game, a loss to the\u00a0Utah Jazz<\/strong>, he also had more touches. Derrick Rose was second and Anthony\u00a0third. Rose consistently gets a lot of touches as the point guard. The offensive system dictates that Anthony\u00a0gets the most touches. But Porzingis\u2019 offense blossoms when Anthony gets the ball less than him.<\/p>\n

The Stats Tell a Story<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Porzingis says that he needs Carmelo Anthony to draw attention. Actually, his field goal percentage on contested shots stays high even if Anthony\u00a0is on the floor with him. Players are guarding him tightly, even with Anthony on the floor, but Porzingis continues to make shots.\u00a0Two times Anthony touched the ball more\u00a0during Porzingis’s best scoring performances.\u00a0However, Porzingis had nearly 10 minutes less playing time and he still\u00a0shot effectively. The tape supports the idea that Porzingis’s dominance is inevitable, with or without Anthony.<\/p>\n

KP1<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n