New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher will insert rookie Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup of their 2015-16 NBA season opener on Oct. 28 against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN.
In three preseason games, Porzingis averaged 7.3 points on 34 percent shooting while making 43 percent of his 3-point attempts and grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game.
The 7' 3" forward will start alongside Jose Calderon, Arron Afflalo, Carmelo Anthony and Robin Lopez in the Knicks' last preseason game against Boston Celtics on Thursday.
Fisher is pleased with the size of New York's starting front line, which is made up of Anthony, Porzingis and Lopez --saying that defenders will have to respect them for it.
The Knicks, who selected Porzingis as the 4th overall pick at this year's NBA Draft, have been pleased with his development thus far.
Porzingis, 20, missed several practices and two matchups due to a knee injury, but said it's no longer an issue. He added that he's working in the weight room to avoid "those little injuries."
The Knicks hope that the Latvian and a healthy Anthony can help the team bounce back from a franchise-worst 17-win season last year.
However, for failing to lure an elite player during free agency, many don't expect the Knicks to have a much better 2015-16 season, USA Today reported.
In fact, the website FiveThirtyEight estimated that the Knicks will just win a total of 27 games this year, while USA Today expected them to perform worse with a 20-win output, Anthony said he found the 27 win prediction amusing and will "laugh at that."
He went on to state that that they'll use that projection as a motivation and that "it's a good thing to be under the radar."​
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.