New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Out To Disprove Euro Labels

New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis knows the stigma that European players carry. He’s aiming to change the narrative.

Tall European players are labeled in one of two ways, and there’s limited evidence that exceptions have been made. Either they’re compared to Dirk Nowitzki or they’re labeled as soft big men who will be unable to overcome the physicality of the NBA.

New York Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis knows what his critics expect from him and is out to silence them entirely.

Porzingis has already made a number of fans, executives, and pundits eat their words by emerging as a borderline star in just his second season. He knows exactly what it is that his critics are still saying, however, and is looking to disprove the inaccurate preconceived notions about his game.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Porzingis is beginning that process by setting the goal of playing in all 82 NBA regular season games in 2016-17.

“I want to do it. I want to do it just to prove that I can do it, that my body can hold up,” he said. “I’m really paying a lot of attention to all the recovery and making sure I’m ready for every game. Hopefully I have a long career in the NBA. It’s going to be important for me to know how hard it is and being ready for every game, knowing my team needs me.”

The purpose of Porzingis’ goal to play in all 82 games is to disprove the labels handed out to, “Skinny Euros.”

“To myself and everybody from outside looking in at a skinny Euro,” he said. “Obviously it’s tough for my body but I want to go through it. I know I can. Hopefully I can stay healthy the rest of the season and keep going.”

Porzingis has a great head on his shoulders and the combination of motivation and work ethic to become one of the best players in the world.

Porzingis played in 72 games as a rookie, with the 10 missed games coming as a result of a shoulder injury that he sustained while blocking a dunk attempt by Alonzo Gee. Porzingis could have returned, but New York had already been eliminated from postseason contention.

At that point, it wasn’t risking the future face of the franchise’s health for a season that was both ending and lost.

Thus far in 2016-17, Porzingis has appeared in all 29 of the Knicks’ games.

Porzingis is currently averaging 19.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.8 offensive boards, 1.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 2.1 3-point field goals made in 34.3 minutes per game. He’s doing so on a slash line of .452/.400/.785.

Having firmly disproved and discredited the belief that he would be a draft bust, Porzingis is now looking to prove he’s as tough as any American player.

The fact that he’s preparing to play on Christmas Day after suffering a knee injury on December 22 is a testament to how tough he is.