Caris freakin’ LeVert!

Yeah, this is really approaching Melo levels of “everything else is at fault except this dude”. Advanced stats, coaches, front offices and his health.

The thing is, it might be true that Porzingis could scorw 15 a game in 60 ts% on lower usage, but the fact that he doesn’t and instead has a higher usage with a heavy efficiency drop literally means he should not be a max guy exactly like Jowles and others have been arguing, because true max players are precisely the ones who can maintain very high usage rates and affect the game positively in multiple, efficient ways. There’s a bunch of those guys in the league, and by giving a max to a guy who’s not on this level is effectively limiting the ceiling of your team relative to the teams that do have such stats. If Porzingis’ bad stats are so related to his high usage, then it only shows that his value is limited as a max guy, 1st or 2nd best player on a very good team.

I just think it can’t be a coincidence that the really good winning teams have multiple “advanced stats darlings” on them while the Knicks have had misused superstars for a decade now and can’t win games.

generating space for them to penetrate and get more offensive rebounds. They can’t capture how poorly he’s been used or how his own decision making is still poor.

You’re giving me horrible Melo flashbacks. Now I really want to trade KP.

i remember watching a game not too long ago where i saw the knicks logo in a dunkin donuts color scheme – some kind of hot pink/purple color – it looked pretty cool…

No, he hasn’t. And this is bringing me back to argument after argument of this team between 2011 and 2017. We Knickerbloggers really need to collectively learn how to identify elite players, and on offense, Porzingis is decidedly not one. Upside? Yeah. Unicorn? Sure. Producing at a high level? Fuck and no. Absolutely fucking not.

It’s not just about what’s in the boxscore. It’s about the boxscore, what’s not in the boxscore, the role of the player, and the skillsets of his teammates.

He’s a 7’3″ 40% 3p shooter; 80% FT shooter; that drags PFs and Cs away from the basket, has the athleticism to score on lobs or put back dunks and can create off the dribble. He has virtually every skill you could want out of a big man other than a really good post game against smaller players (he’s still weak)

The models don’t capture his contribution to other players by merely being on the floor and generating space for them to penetrate and get more offensive rebounds. They can’t capture how poorly he’s been used or how his own decision making is still poor. And of course they don’t capture that he’s a high level defender in the paint and on help defense.

He could easily score 15 points a night with at 60 TS%. Then you’d like him better, but that would a monumentally dumb use of his broad skill set.

He isn’t a Kevin Knox that needs to improve in several areas to be really good, but is young, athletic, and a hard worker so we hope he can get there.

He’s isn’t Frank that has to improve his 3 point shot, handle, confidence, and ability to shoot when defended.

KP already has all the skills in high enough quantities.

1. He has to gets stronger (which is a mortal lock as he matures physically)

2. He has to be used properly and learn proper shot selection. (one would hope Fizdale will use him better & he’ll learn, but the latter is a question mark)

3. He has to stay healthy (major risk)