Kristaps Porzingis displeased with Knicks script, tenure may be cut short
The drama in Gotham continues, and New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis is not a fan of it. In fact, reports have it that it was one reason he skipped the exit meeting following the ballclub’s elimination from the NBA playoffs.
The 2016-17 NBA season was marred by internal bickering with team president Phil Jackson. Carmelo Anthony and Jeff Hornacek took the lead roles while Derrick Rose rendered support. Throughout the season, Porzingis tried his best and took no part of the shenanigans. It looks like he waited for the opportune time to do so.
Lack of direction
For someone of his caliber, Porzingis skipping the exit interview is a big thing. According to ESPN, a lot of it stems from the lack of direction within the Knicks after missing the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
The New York Knicks had good chances of making the NBA playoffs after adding key players to support Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. That included Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings. Ironically, they fell one win short of the breakthrough they had during the 2015-16 NBA season.
Is Jackson the right man for the job?
The New York Knicks had high hopes when Phil Jackson came on board. Seeing his success with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, hiring the Zen master could only render a positive outlook.
The only difference was that Jackson was not the one calling the shots from the bench. Instead, he was relaying the message through his coaches. Derek Fisher failed to live up, and Jeff Hornacek half-heartedly employed it.
Aside from that, Jackson may have forgotten he held a front-office position. He made headlines for all the wrong reasons by criticising his players. The latest one is a perfect example, referring to the public statements he made on Carmelo Anthony being better off somewhere else, ESPN reports.
Those comments drew the ire of the National Basketball Players Association, calling on the NBA to fine the Knicks president. As NBA.com points out, if players can’t publicly ask for a trade, management shouldn't be able to encourage one.
Anthony is expected to suit up for another team next season while Porzingis is seen as the new star forward. But according to Jackson, the Latvian is still young and needs more time to step into big shoes. Jackson pointed out, though, the competitive nature of the 21-year-old but he stressed on the need to bulk up.
With Melo’s imminent departure, it will be interesting if the Knicks finally follow a straight path. If the distractions continue, it would not be surprising to find Porzingis leaving Gotham too.
