NBA Season Preview 2018-19: Every team’s biggest question

New York Knicks: How does Kristaps Porzingis look when he comes back?

The Knicks’ season ended when Kristaps Porzingis’ did. The health of a generational talent transcends short-term success, especially for a lottery-bound team. Porzingis is slated to return in February, and though New York will likely be well out of playoff contention, the games he plays will have meaningful stakes for the future. His injury likely solidifies him as a pure center moving forward, as any deterioration of his lateral quickness could prevent him from defending the four. Porzingis’ mobility and strength will be tested in those first few games back, if not his entire season. His ability to explode off of one foot, establish position in the post and defend other bigs will all be worth monitoring in that stretch.

Even before he went down, Porzingis was best as the lone big man in five-out lineups that leveraged his shooting ability. He is among the best rim protectors in the NBA and could act as an anchor on both ends of the floor in his prime. That period may coincide with the arrival of another star should the Knicks acquire one in free agency. They will pursue, heavily, and the prospect of playing with Porzingis, whose game theoretically fits with most any player in the NBA, will be an enticing one. If not, the New York still figures to take steps forward in the coming years. Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox could be legitimate foundational pieces, and next season is likely to produce another lottery pick.