HOLY KRISTAPS: All Things Porzingis | TRADED to WAS

[LukTheShadow]

https://twitter.com/TommyNoel/status/120...2779197441

Santa says KP was good boy this year, so should we. Will We??

[StepBackJay]

KP had a nice game last game. Still looking for that game where he really breaks out. New Orleans had some smaller but feisty defenders that bother KP. Not sure if this will be the game he explodes. He is due for a good shooting night though. He gets plenty of open looks, just hasn't been able to cash in over 50% any given night or get to the line a bunch.

[StepBackJay]

https://youtu.be/hgOdTLie5BU

Check out this podcast by Thinking Basketball. This really changes my view and makes me realize Mavs do know what they are doing with Porzingis. On offense they are really using him more like a wing than a big.

[Jym]

https://youtu.be/hgOdTLie5BU

Check out this podcast by Thinking Basketball. This really changes my view and makes me realize Mavs do know what they are doing with Porzingis. On offense they are really using him more like a wing than a big.

Yeah he leads the league in spotup shot attempts. Really some great shots. Hopefully can start knocking down more of those. So many seem to go in and out. 
But I would like them to switch it up some to where he's the roll man and Powell is the shooter. 
Powell isn't going to keep shooting 45+% on 3's but he's certainly serviceable 
I feel like that would be a good way for KP to get a rhythm on his spot ups. Should avoid isolated postups until he's stronger

[mavsluvr]

https://youtu.be/hgOdTLie5BU

Check out this podcast by Thinking Basketball. This really changes my view and makes me realize Mavs do know what they are doing with Porzingis. On offense they are really using him more like a wing than a big.

Very interesting. Makes the point (among others) that you can't avoid posting up KP at all, or you will be too predictable, and your rotations won't work. You have to mix in some post play for him, not necessarily force-feeding him, but being willing to go to that move if the situation warrants. 

KP relied on that kind of move in NY, so he ought to be able to incorporate it here. I guess it just takes some time. 

Anyway, thanks for posting!

[ItsGoTime]

Should avoid isolated postups until he's stronger

Good point in the post. I wonder how your changes would affect winning. The point I’ll make is that KP looks as though he loses control of the ball everytime he does anything around defenders. A little hip check and the ball is fumbled, a less callable swipe on the arm and the ball goes flying. I think it’s a combination of strength, coordination and confidence. All things that will come to him with time. He already gets plenty of touches, and high quality shots, I think we’re getting closer to most of them converting. I at least really hope we are.

[SportPsychMav]

Should avoid isolated postups until he's stronger

Good point in the post. I wonder how your changes would affect winning. The point I’ll make is that KP looks as though he loses control of the ball everytime he does anything around defenders. A little hip check and the ball is fumbled, a less callable swipe on the arm and the ball goes flying. I think it’s a combination of strength, coordination and confidence. All things that will come to him with time. He already gets plenty of touches, and high quality shots, I think we’re getting closer to most of them converting. I at least really hope we are.

Boban also often looks like he is fumbling it away. I think they are so big they don't get a lot of fouls called. Some throw aways look way to rediculous to think there wasn't a foul involved.

What do you think?

[ItsGoTime]

Should avoid isolated postups until he's stronger

Good point in the post. I wonder how your changes would affect winning. The point I’ll make is that KP looks as though he loses control of the ball everytime he does anything around defenders. A little hip check and the ball is fumbled, a less callable swipe on the arm and the ball goes flying. I think it’s a combination of strength, coordination and confidence. All things that will come to him with time. He already gets plenty of touches, and high quality shots, I think we’re getting closer to most of them converting. I at least really hope we are.

Boban also often looks like he is fumbling it away. I think they are so big they don't get a lot of fouls called. Some throw aways look way to rediculous to think there wasn't a foul involved.

What do you think?

While it is a foul, he can’t expect for that to be called every time, or really at all. Pretty much everyone, including Dirk, has to figure out how to play through the little bumps that will occur. It’s especially true of bigs. The bias of refs against what a foul on a big as opposed to the smalls is pretty well established in the NBA. I wish they would call it more for KP’s sake cause in all honesty, he’s really only a tall, not a big.

[mavsluvr]

Should avoid isolated postups until he's stronger

Good point in the post. I wonder how your changes would affect winning. The point I’ll make is that KP looks as though he loses control of the ball everytime he does anything around defenders. A little hip check and the ball is fumbled, a less callable swipe on the arm and the ball goes flying. I think it’s a combination of strength, coordination and confidence. All things that will come to him with time. He already gets plenty of touches, and high quality shots, I think we’re getting closer to most of them converting. I at least really hope we are.

I tend to agree that he is learning an entirely new way of playing, and it is hard to have the level of precision that we would normally expect of an experienced player. Also, this is his first year coming back from an ACL, and players almost always undergo a regression in their first season returning. 

He isn't playing like a $28M man, but as long as he's getting there, I guess that's the best that can be hoped for.

[Jym]

Should avoid isolated postups until he's stronger

Good point in the post. I wonder how your changes would affect winning. The point I’ll make is that KP looks as though he loses control of the ball everytime he does anything around defenders. A little hip check and the ball is fumbled, a less callable swipe on the arm and the ball goes flying. I think it’s a combination of strength, coordination and confidence. All things that will come to him with time. He already gets plenty of touches, and high quality shots, I think we’re getting closer to most of them converting. I at least really hope we are.

Boban also often looks like he is fumbling it away. I think they are so big they don't get a lot of fouls called. Some throw aways look way to rediculous to think there wasn't a foul involved.

What do you think?

For sure. 
That's the thing that strikes me most when they show a replay of Luka driving to the hoop. 
Live it looks like he's just strolling along and throwing in a mostly uncontested shot. 
But then slow it down and zoom in a bit on a replay and you see just how much contact he's taking (and giving out).on plays where no fouls are called. 
His strength and ability to actually knock the bigger player back should be talked about more. Hits that KP just cant shoot thru

[StepBackJay]

KP is definitely making progress. He is figuring out where his shots are going to come from. It's hard to say whether he's going to be a 20+ ppg scorer again but even with his offensive woes he is at almost 17 ppg. I think he can and should be just under 20 ppg when he returns to form. He definitely impacts the game without needing monster ppg.

[StepBackJay]

One thing I liked from the game against the Kings is seeing KP at the 5 for an extended stretch. In the fourth quarter Rick left JJB in the lineup and Powell out to close out the game if I recall. This meant KP was the true center on the floor. I'd be very interested to see if Rick tries to do some more KP at the 5 in a death-type lineup during some stretches of the game in the future (not just desperation games).

[ItsGoTime]

One thing I liked from the game against the Kings is seeing KP at the 5 for an extended stretch. In the fourth quarter Rick left JJB in the lineup and Powell out to close out the game if I recall. This meant KP was the true center on the floor. I'd be very interested to see if Rick tries to do some more KP at the 5 in a death-type lineup during some stretches of the game in the future (not just desperation games).

I would like to see that a bit against certain teams, I know Fif was lobbying pretty hard for that as well in the offseason.

[J0n]

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...2259641344

Thanks!  I'd love to read a synopsis from someone with a subscription.  I've heard several people talk about how KP has changed his game and would be very interested in hearing more detail.

CONTENT REMOVED

NOTE: Howdy pal, good to see you! Can't post content from behind a paywall, so I removed it. - fifteenth

[ClutchDirk]

[b]PORZINGIS FELT ALIENATED[/b] within the organization, and Fizdale knew his past Gasol saga loomed over a potential partnership.
Porzingis was rehabilitating his torn left ACL in Europe, with an expectation that he could miss all of Fizdale's first season with the Knicks. Regardless of whether the Knicks ever recruited a superstar free agent, Fizdale believed he had an anchor player who could keep the franchise competitive.
Porzingis felt an initial connection with Fizdale, only to return for the start of training camp and find a new set of frustrations. There were disagreements on everything from windows of time for Porzingis' rehab at the Knicks' facility to whether the franchise considered his presence a positive in its pursuit of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, sources said.
The Knicks began gauging interest in Porzingis early in 2019. According to sources, New York offered the New Orleans Pelicans a package centered around Porzingis in exchange for forward Anthony Davis. But former Pelicans general manager Dell Demps showed little interest in that discussion, and the Knicks took that as an indication that interest in Porzingis might not be as high leaguewide.
Porzingis and his brother, Janis, who serves as his agent, had planned to meet with management to discuss his future in January. Once the Porzingis brothers found out that the Knicks were discussing a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, sources said, they hurried a meeting the next morning and asked to be moved to one of four destinations: the Nets, Clippers, Raptors or Heat.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2826...ope-knicks

[Hypermav]

[b]PORZINGIS FELT ALIENATED[/b] within the organization, and Fizdale knew his past Gasol saga loomed over a potential partnership.
Porzingis was rehabilitating his torn left ACL in Europe, with an expectation that he could miss all of Fizdale's first season with the Knicks. Regardless of whether the Knicks ever recruited a superstar free agent, Fizdale believed he had an anchor player who could keep the franchise competitive.
Porzingis felt an initial connection with Fizdale, only to return for the start of training camp and find a new set of frustrations. There were disagreements on everything from windows of time for Porzingis' rehab at the Knicks' facility to whether the franchise considered his presence a positive in its pursuit of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, sources said.
The Knicks began gauging interest in Porzingis early in 2019. According to sources, New York offered the New Orleans Pelicans a package centered around Porzingis in exchange for forward Anthony Davis. But former Pelicans general manager Dell Demps showed little interest in that discussion, and the Knicks took that as an indication that interest in Porzingis might not be as high leaguewide.
Porzingis and his brother, Janis, who serves as his agent, had planned to meet with management to discuss his future in January. Once the Porzingis brothers found out that the Knicks were discussing a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, sources said, they hurried a meeting the next morning and asked to be moved to one of four destinations: the Nets, Clippers, Raptors or Heat.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2826...ope-knicks

In the famous KP meeting with the Knicks, the morning of the trade, the narrative gets retold with similar plot lines but it seems to change based on the perspective of the story teller.  I would like KP to detail it someday.  

I would like to know honestly from KP if he was mad at being traded to Dallas. 
Did he actually demand a trade or was he presented with same? 
If so, did he demand the four teams listed?
Spurs a destination, yes or no.
Did he actually say he would not sign the extension when the trade was reported?
Did he threaten to go back to Europe?
Were other teams actually confused or upset they did not get a chance to trade for KP?  Tampering involved?  I think the Knicks felt there was some of that in a few media stories about the saga.

I think he is happy with Dallas now and it does not matter so much anymore but I am still curious from his perspective how it all went down.  The Knicks are proven media manipulators and half truth tellers so I have trouble taking the their media narrative at face value.

[Tyler]

The facts are definitely pretty muddy, but I think three things are circumstantially clear:

1. Dallas had a deal in place at least by the night before the infamous KP meeting with Knicks leadership.  Donnie's rare trip to NY was documented by Townsend before anyone had any inkling of a trade, and Stein (who I trust) reported that Dallas had a handshake agreement that night.  Shelburne now appears to back that timeline as well.

2. Dallas was not KP's first choice.  That's a personal opinion driven not so much by the various reports of his "list" but by his demeanor at the first press conference when Cuban stepped in and answered questions for him.  He wasn't negative by any means, but he clearly wasn't prepared to gush like you might expect from a guy who just got exactly what he wanted.

3. Dallas read the situation well, made a deal they wanted, and locked up the guy long term.


Beyond that, who knows.  All I know for sure is that Dallas reset the future of the entire organization in less than a year via two bold trades while the Knicks are still a joke of an organization.

[ItsGoTime]

[b]PORZINGIS FELT ALIENATED[/b] within the organization, and Fizdale knew his past Gasol saga loomed over a potential partnership.
Porzingis was rehabilitating his torn left ACL in Europe, with an expectation that he could miss all of Fizdale's first season with the Knicks. Regardless of whether the Knicks ever recruited a superstar free agent, Fizdale believed he had an anchor player who could keep the franchise competitive.
Porzingis felt an initial connection with Fizdale, only to return for the start of training camp and find a new set of frustrations. There were disagreements on everything from windows of time for Porzingis' rehab at the Knicks' facility to whether the franchise considered his presence a positive in its pursuit of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, sources said.
The Knicks began gauging interest in Porzingis early in 2019. According to sources, New York offered the New Orleans Pelicans a package centered around Porzingis in exchange for forward Anthony Davis. But former Pelicans general manager Dell Demps showed little interest in that discussion, and the Knicks took that as an indication that interest in Porzingis might not be as high leaguewide.
Porzingis and his brother, Janis, who serves as his agent, had planned to meet with management to discuss his future in January. Once the Porzingis brothers found out that the Knicks were discussing a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, sources said, they hurried a meeting the next morning and asked to be moved to one of four destinations: the Nets, Clippers, Raptors or Heat.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2826...ope-knicks

Just to clarify (since this is something that came up recently), this is how we feel it is best to post an article behind a paywall. You can also give your own synopsis of the article as a whole then quote a paragraph that pertains directly to what made you post the article.

[fifteenth]

Tampering involved? 

What would tampering look like when involved in a trade?

---

That's a personal opinion driven not so much by the various reports of his "list" but by his demeanor at the first press conference when Cuban stepped in and answered questions for him.  He wasn't negative by any means, but he clearly wasn't prepared to gush like you might expect from a guy who just got exactly what he wanted.

KP was asked a premature question about a non-existent extension (at that time). I don't think I would have answered that question if I were in KP's shoes. I'm not going to speculate for you about money that may or may not be offered to me. I think Cuban stepped in to save KP from having to answer a question

[Tyler]

KP was asked a premature question about a non-existent extension (at that time). I don't think I would have answered that question if I were in KP's shoes. I'm not going to speculate for you about money that may or may not be offered to me. I think Cuban stepped in to save KP from having to answer a question

True!  I still got the overall vibe that maybe Dallas wasn't KP's first choice, but you raise a very fair point about the question that Cuban intercepted.  And clearly KP is on board now, so no matter the first impression it's the contract that counts. 

BTW, regarding tampering my assumption is that Hypermav is referring to the story that the Knicks accused the Spurs of tampering with KP while he was a Knick.