Kristaps Porzingis's Swagger Is Undeniable

No piece of NBA ephemera has entertained me this season as much as Kristaps Porzingis showing off apparent tinges of a New York accent.

The man once known as Krapsnaps is having a very good sophomore season even if the Knicks are butt, and he’s playing with the confidence and swagger of a much more experienced player. Nobody really plays like the big Latvian, who is well over seven feet tall yet spends most of his time on the perimeter, but Dirk Nowitzki is his closest analog.

Porzingis and Nowitzki spoke about working out together over the summer, and although that never materialized, Porzingis clearly picked up something from his elder. In the fourth quarter of his team’s win over Nowitzki and the Mavericks, he pulled off the German’s signature one-footed fadeaway to perfection.

After the game, Nowitzki said that Porzingis found him on the bench and stared him down as he ran back on defense.

Thanks to all the clunky veterans on their roster ( and in the front office), the Knicks are a mediocre basketball team, but at least Kristaps Porzingis appears to be a very good and very strange basketball player. That he enthusiastically takes after Nowitzki’s shot selection is even better.