The most important player on each and every NBA team this season

By Ti Windisch | Aug 28, 2018

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defended by Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 31: Semi Ojeleye #37 of the Boston Celtics defends Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks during the game at TD Garden on January 31, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

New York Knicks — Kristaps Porzingis

The New York Knicks finally got some young talent aside from Kristaps Porzingis in the last two NBA Drafts, but the Latvian big man is easily New York’s premier player. Without Porzingis, the Knicks are adrift in the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

In the 48 games that Porzingis played last season, New York was 22-26. In the other 34 games the Knicks played, they won a grand total of seven games. Even non-mathematicians can figure out pretty quickly that 22-26 is a much, much better record than 7-27.

Porzingis will miss time this season as well, maybe even all of it. That might make it seem tough for him to be the most important member of the New York Knicks, who are for all intents and purposes a basketball franchise. The truth is that even without him being on the floor, everything the Knicks do is altered by Porzingis.

Franchises with star talents move differently than those without them. New York will certainly spend much of this season trying to develop some young players and get better, but the real focus is on adding more star power in the summer of 2019. Without Porzingis, that becomes harder if not impossible.

Even if all Porzingis does is rehab this season, that will be more important than whatever else is happening in New York. Zinger matters so much to the Knicks, and he might just help them become relevant again for the first time since Carmelo Anthony got out of dodge.

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