Kristaps Porzingis is taking the NBA by storm and winning over believers beyond just Knicks fans.
On Monday night, the lanky 7-3 Latvian, 20, faced the prototype for a highly skilled big man from Europe who can thrive in the NBA.
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“He’s for real,” Mavericks star 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki, 37, told reporters after the game, referring to the Knicks' top draft pick. "He’s long, he’s athletic, he can put the ball on the floor. He’s the complete package.”
About comparisons to himself, Nowitzki said, "It's more than fair. He’s probably way ahead of the curve. When I was 20, I was scared to death out there. ... He's almost averaging a double-double, so he's way better than I was at 20. So the comparison's probably unfair to (him).”
Porzingis scored 28 against the Mavs, while Nowitzki pumped in 25. Dallas beat New York, 104-97, at the Garden.