Dwyane Wade: NBA Defenses Not Yet Focused on Kristaps Porzingis

According to both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, New York Knicks rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis has benefitted from NBA defenses not paying a whole lot of attention to him.

But that will quickly change, promise both perennial All-Stars.

Wade and Bosh do, however, give it up to the big fella for the way he has balled so far.

Per the NY Post:

“Pay attention to him — that’s really it,” Bosh said. “He deserves the attention. Most from what I see on the film is guys not paying attention to him. He can play basketball. I don’t know why. Just challenge him. He’ll hit tough shots, but we can’t allow him to get easy buckets. He’s really good at the elbow area. I see a lot of people fall asleep on the elbow area and it allows him to get catch-and-shoots. We got to pay close attention to him. If you get wide-open shots, yes, he’s a shooter. It creates rhythm. When you get a guy like that with an open 15-footer stepping right into it, you’re probably in for a long night.” […] Bosh added opponents aren’t boxing out enough on Porzingis, who had five offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter Saturday night in Houston to seal the Knicks’ victory. Porzingis finished with a historic stat line of 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.

 

“He’s a rookie,” Wade said of why Porzingis is open a lot. “It takes a little time for a team and individuals to get on him. Right now Melo gets a lot of it, we have to plan for [Arron] Afflalo, guys who have been in this league. Maybe he’s been an afterthought. But he won’t be for long. No doubt about it. He’s really making waves around the league. It’s not just ESPN highlights. He’s putting up big numbers, playing big. He’s young, takes time for someone to plan for a rookie.”

 

Wade says Porzingis deserves the hype. […] “So many guys coming into the draft and see their potential, but never know if they’re able to reach it,” Wade said. “He’s done a great job in the toughest city for basketball. He’s a person you have to plan for every game — whether it’s scoring, offensive rebounding or shotblocking.”