The Knicks got their wish with Kristaps Porzingis.
Andrejs Silins of Sportacentrs.com:
Official: Kristaps Porzingis WILL NOT play for Latvian NT this summer #Rio2016 #FIBA #OQT
— Andrejs Silins (@AndrejsSilins) May 2, 2016
Latvia is set to compete in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament, but reaching Rio will be much more difficult now. I’m not sure Porzingis would’ve put Latvia over the top, but he at least would have made the team more competitive.
Now, he’s more likely to provide that for the Knicks next season. They wanted him training under their watch, and hopefully they provide instruction that maximizes his ability to produce in the NBA. The sky is the limit for Porzingis, and a little more strength and polish would make him only better.
