DALLAS — Kristaps Porzingis cannot wait to take the court Friday night.
The fact that he will be getting his first crack at the Knicks has little to do with it.
Twenty-one months removed from his final game in a Knicks uniform — in which he tore his ACL, partly setting in motion his unceremonious departure from the organization last January — Porzingis is still searching for the player who became known as The Unicorn and took over New York before getting traded to the Mavericks.
“I just want to play well and win games and show what I know I’m capable of. But right now, I’m not there yet,” Porzingis said Wednesday night after his quietest game of the season in a 107-106 win over the Magic at American Airlines Center. “I’m not there yet, and that is very frustrating.”
Though Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle raved about Porzingis’ play before the game, the 7-foot-3 Latvian was not as optimistic afterward. He finished with 10 points (on 4-of-14 shooting), eight rebounds and one assist in 33:45. It was perhaps a reminder that not every night is going to be smooth sailing when coming back from a major injury.
Porzingis entered the night averaging 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds on 43 percent shooting in 32.3 minutes through his first six games. He feels his stamina and cardio are improving, and though the Mavericks improved to 5-2 Wednesday night, Porzingis was still frustrated with his play.
“I’m happy that we were able to get the win with me playing as awful as I did,” an introspective Porzingis said. “Onto the next one. I want to figure this thing out. Once I get back to where I want to get back, it will feel even better going through this right now. I just want to figure it out as soon as possible, but I have to give myself time and I have to make it simple for myself.”
Carlisle said he needed to get Porzingis better shots, but Porzingis took that responsibility upon himself.
“I have to get the feel back. I have to get it back,” Porzingis said. “The spots that I’m getting to to get my shots are not maybe the usual spots that I was getting used to when I played in New York.”
When Porzingis was in New York, he was the man, the Knicks plastered on billboards and signs around the city. In Dallas, that designation is mostly reserved for Luka Doncic, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who appears with tagline “Halleluka” above his picture. Doncic carried the load Wednesday, racking up 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Porzingis, who signed a five-year, $158-million max contract with the Mavericks in July, would like to help shoulder the burden. Perhaps facing his old team for the first time Friday night can provide a jolt.
“It’s another game. It’s another game,” Porzingis said about facing his old team. “I’m looking forward to the game and getting a win most importantly, but also for myself individually I want to get back in my groove.”
“I want to get a win. That’s what I want to get,” he added. “I want to keep winning. We’re 5-2. I haven’t played well once. We have so much more room to grow as a team. That’s the crazy thing. Myself, maybe other guys also struggling in some moments, we’re still able to win games. Once I think we all put this thing together we can be a force and I’m looking forward to that.”
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November 07, 2019 at 02:16PM
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Kristaps Porzingis not happy with his play heading into Knicks battle - New York Post
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