02-01-2021, 01:31 PM
(02-01-2021, 01:19 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: KP's ability to shoot from distance at an efficient rate, coupled with his historical great rim protection and high mobility (for a bigman). Also he's 7'3 and that size alone changes how teams need to prepare for you.
Interesting. I have no desire to paint a target on my back for the analytics guys, but I feel like I've seen very little evidence that Porzingis is valuable on defense at all since coming to Dallas. I've just about given up on that. Maybe I shouldn't.
I actually wonder whether his size (in combination with his play style) is a negative. He has a handle, but not one that overcomes his awkward movement and balance. His reflexes and reaction speed have seemed a second behind everyone else, especially lately. This might be temporary, but he doesn't seem like he'll ever become as fluid and dangerous as the Dirk, Rasheed Wallace, Garnett, Webber era 4's. I think the current arms race is finding a guy who can take part in changing the 5 position the way those guys changed the 4 position. I had high hopes that Porzingis could be on the cutting edge of that, but I'm losing the faith. For one reason or another, Davis, Embiid, KAT and Adebayo all seem to be in a different league, to me.
It's difficult to predict the future, though, and I DEFINITELY think having a guy to pull the Bam, Davis, Gobert defensive types out of the paint is UBER valuable. So, just the combo of his shooting and size can be pretty damn valuable, provided he starts making shots again and he/Carlisle figure out ways of forcing opposing teams to guard him with their centers. That high post game isn't doing the trick, because he lets teams get away with cross-guarding him with smaller defenders. That means that currently, the only way to get the matchup you need for KP to help Luka with spacing is to go super small, which has a negative impact on the defensive end.
It's a pickle.