The Carmelo Anthony Era was over when he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but there are Knicks fans such as myself who still check the highlights and box scores to see how their old franchise player is doing now that he has escaped from New York and is putting up shots in an offense with Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Problem is, those same fans that are worrying about a guy who couldnt leave fast enough, might be missing the birth of a legend.
If you forget your allegiance and let the frustration get to you, you might have started looking at that Thunder Game, and flipping through League Pass games like I was when I missed Porzingis score 24 points in the last 13:26 to help erase a 19-point Indiana Pacers lead and take the Knicks over the .500 mark for the season.
Porzingis Tallies A Career High With 40 Points AND 6 Blocks vs. The Pacers
The New York Knicks’ Kristaps “The Unicorn” Porzingis puts up a career high 40 points AND 6 blocks alongside 8 rebounds while he led the comeback against the Indiana Pacers at home at The Garden.
The Lethal Latvian finished with 40 points and some emphatic “I love New York” dunks just a couple of days after settling the worries of Knicks fans who were startled and a bit shook when Porzingis agent and brother told media that his re-signing to a max deal with the Knicks was no guarantee if the franchise doesn’t treat him right.
SLAM Magazine on Twitter
Behind 40 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks from Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks beat the Pacers 108-101
Knicks fans are just starting to get into the squad again and don’t need any reminders of how unlucky and undesirable the team has been. They want to remain in this Porzingis lovefest forever. The last five games of this 2017 has been a small sample of the long term results the Knicks hope for with Porz as New Yorks Top Gun.
Hes averaging 31.2 points, shooting 51.3 % from the field, to go along with a respectable eight rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest. Through nine games, he has scored more than any Knicks player in franchise history, outbeasting classic cats like Bernard King, Melo and other hardwood heathens.
We are seeing a legit franchise stud bloom right in front of our eyes. Hes just 22 years old, he’s 7-foot-3, a commodity and hes special. Hes also becoming a global icon and his affiliations are becoming more important to his marketing mojo. Being in New York is perfect but not if the Knicks are unable to acquire talent and become perennial playoff contenders again. In that case, superstars become disgruntled villains seeking a life away from New York.
NBA TV on Twitter
Kristaps Porzingis not only set a new career-high for PTS, he also became the 3rd youngest @nyknicks player to score 40 PTS!
After witnessing how Phil Jackson treated Carmelo Anthony, its totally understandable why Janis Porzingis would make that statement publicly. Refuting his brothers comments and reassuring Knicks fans that he was looking forward to being King of New York hoops was the first example of how Porzingis has become the golden child in New York. With the Knicks track record, he can do no wrong in the eyes of fans.
Everyone immediately blamed the Knicks for Porzingis brothers comments. The organization didnt do anything lately to piss Porzingis off, but the brothers played good cop, bad cop with the Knicks and Porz down played it while his brother acted as if his words were exactly how they felt. He gave us a glimpse into their dinner table discussions. That way, Porz isnt seen as a whiny superstar.
But the idea that the Knicks can continue to be a dysfunctional league joke with no talent and ride Porzingis into the ground and then flip on him as they did Melo and allow him to be abused by media and false fan perceptions is something that the Porzingis fam let everyone know they wouldnt be a part of.
KP is the one shining light from the Phil Jackson Era. Hes been especially lighting it up this season as the No. 1 option in the offense and creating a feverish excitement in Madison Square Garden and internationally. The Knicks are 5-4 and the fans are feeling all fuzzy inside, they are happy to be attending games and at least discussing the possibilities for this team and the future. Its a nice change of pace for a franchise that has seen so much turmoil over the past 20 years.
TheKnicksBlog.com on Twitter
Hey #Knicks fans, how the hell are ya feeling right now?! Your Knicks are 5-4, won 5 of 6, and just made an absurd comeback. https://t.co/ZyJqsSadhN
If my eyes don’t deceive me, the Knicks have a nice building block for the future. Porz will need a ton of help over the next few years, but he already owns the hearts of New Yorkers.
How he deals with the often unrealistic ambition of fans will be crucial to whether or not he will fully embrace the challenge of trying to win in New York, or slide out of the back door when the opportunity arises, frustrated with the direction of the franchise and its lack of championship progress.
