When the Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingiswith the fourth overall pick in this summer's draft, the fans inside Barclays Center booed the decision mercilessly.
Porzingis was a relative unkown in the states, and after the Andrea Bargnani debacle in New York, the fans being a little wary of a seven-foot-tall international prospect was at least somewhat understandable.
But if the early results are any indication, Porzingis may eventually turn out to be just fine.
Early in the third quarter of Thursday night's loss to the Hawks, Porzingis came up with a steal, and as he headed up the floor, had to battle Atlanta's Paul Millsap for position. Porzingis used a nifty spin move to free himself, which bought the Madison Square Garden faithful to their feet before he finished the play with a powerful one-handed slam.
Porzingis finished the night with 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot in 26 minutes of action. Bargnani he's not, and Porzingis is giving the fans in New York reason to believe he'll one day turn into a competent NBA player, and perhaps even a star.
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