Eight. At least eight. On a scale of 10 points, Kristaps Porzingis honestly earned in the past NBA season despite how the team fared as a whole. On the back of averages of 23.2 points (career high), 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists (near career high) and 62.7% true-shooting accuracy (career high) the designation “all-star” season” doesn’t look like a dog’s nightmare.
In an essay published before this season, the prediction that Porzingis could take over the reins of the team’s “de facto” leader during the season turned out to be completely accurate. This is confirmed not only by his own game on the field, but also by the role of a mentor in the eyes of the team’s young players and the connection with the city, fans and the organization as a whole. It seems that, at least in miniature form, it has managed to find and realize the potential that, for various reasons, failed in New York, not to mention Dallas.
However, objectively there are factors that should be placed on the opposite scale. Several and quite significant. And somewhere in the spinal cord there is a feeling that 2022/2023. Porzingis’ career has reached an interesting crossroads.
