It has been years now since Kristaps Porzingis last wore a New York Knicks jersey, but there are many fans wondering what could’ve been with him and franchise.
The 27-year-old big man was selected fourth overall by the Knicks back in 2015, and he quickly blossomed into one of the cornerstone pieces of the squad alongside Carmelo Anthony.
Eventually, disagreements between him and front office, along with injuries that began to pile up, the Knicks traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and Dennis Smith Jr. Porzingis ended up signing a lengthy contract with the Mavs but was traded to the Wizards nonetheless.
Looking back at it, Porzingis reflected on his time with the Knicks and talked about how things could’ve went down differently.
“Things Could Have Been Done Differently”
Because of the Wizards and Knicks matchup in the preseason, Porzingis answered questions about his exit from New York, and he gave some insight into it.
“Now that I’m older, smarter and understand what happened back then, it could have been done differently for sure,” he Porzingis, via the New York Daily News. “The ACL [tear], it didn’t help — all of that situation. In the end, maybe sooner or later it would have happened anyway. It’s hard to say. For sure, what I can say is things could have been done differently.”
Porzingis’s best season as a pro was also the one where he made his lone All-Star appearance, and it happened to be his final year as a Knick. Through 48 games, he averaged a career-best 22.7 points per game while shooting a career high 39.5 percent from deep.
The controversial exit has left a sour taste in the mouths of some fans. Porzingis doesn’t hold a grudge and believes that’ll go away over time.
“I think each year it will calm down a little bit. Because nobody likes to be the villain,” he continued. “First year was crazy. Last year was a little bit more low-key. Now with the Wizards I think maybe it will — I don’t know, I kind of like it. It’s emotional. In the end, they’re feeling some type of way. It’s not the best but at least you’re making them feel some sort of way and not leaving them without any emotions towards you.”
Back to Being Rivals
With him in the Western Conference, the Knicks weren’t all too concerned with how he played since there was nowhere for them to match up in the playoffs except for making the NBA Finals.
Now that Porzingis is in Washington, New York will be actively battling him and the team for a playoff spot. Both the Wizards and Knicks expect to be players in the play-in tournament, so one might have to go through the other to make the playoffs.
When healthy, Porzingis can be one of the best shooting big men in the game, but that’s always been a concern of his. The Wizards will certainly be counting on his production if they want to make the playoffs.
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Kristaps Porzingis Sounds Off on Controversial Knicks Exit