Report: Kristaps Porzingis skips Knicks exit meetings amid frustration
Surrounded by frustration and dysfunction, Kristaps Porzingis reportedly skipped the Knicks exit meetings.
After an earlier comment on Friday by Phil Jackson that New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony would be “better off elsewhere,” Ian Begley of ESPN New York reported that Kristaps Porzingis skipped exit interviews over his frustration regarding the team’s dysfunction.
Kristaps Porzingis skipped exit meetings due to frustration over dysfunction, drama surrounding NYK, team sources told ESPN. Story coming.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 15, 2017
This season has been a tumultuous one for the Knicks. The team that added former all-stars Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose to aid their current dynamic duo of Porzingis and Anthony went a measly 31-51. Phil Jackson has received a lot of heat as the center of blame. The Porzingis news and the way the legendary coach has handled the Anthony saga has turned fans against him
More important for the Knicks at the moment than respecting Carmelo Anthony’s legacy is making sure Kristaps Porzingis is happy. The unicorn continued to improve on last year’s breakout season but his future as the Knicks’ franchise player looks to be in jeopardy.
Porzingis posted an outstanding stat line of 18.1 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. His versatility as a new-age big man rocketed him into fringe All-Star status this year and fans can’t get enough of the Latvian star.
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Jackson and the Knicks front office will be facing a crucial offseason. Right now the team has the lottery odds to pick 7th in the 2017 NBA Draft; a draft that seems to be relatively deep in talent. The Knicks have an opportunity to build a strong foundation of youth by pairing a star like Jayson Tatum, Jonathan Isaac, or De’Aaron Fox with Porzingis.
The Knicks franchise is mired in disarray and free agents know that. This lack of confidence from New York’s most promising player certainly won’t help that. One thing is clear — somebody in the Knicks front office better wake up or the Sixers won’t be the only ones trusting the process.