Seemingly every NBA Draft has its international man of mystery, a skilled foreign-born player who intrigues scouts and team executives more and more as that fateful date approaches.
This year, that man is Kristaps Porzingis, an agile seven-footer with a smooth shooting stroke.
Porzingis participated in a group workout at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas on Friday, an event that was well-attended by plenty of front office decision-makers. And he drew nothing but rave reviews.
From Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:Porzingis was VERY impressive in workout. A scout called him the best player in the draft “He’s better than Karl Towns,” said the scout.
Some league executives think Porzingis could become the best player in this draft. However, they believe KAT is the safe pick at No. 1 ...
While Porzingis has solid offensive skills for a 7-1 PF, there’s a sense that Russell is still the better option for the Sixers.
Philadelphia is loaded with talented frontcourt players in Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, so Porzingis, for them, would almost certainly be a duplication.
The Sixers need guard play to compliment those interior players, so D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay appear to be more realistic options.
But Porzingis impressed. It’s unlikely the Timberwolves or the Lakers go there with one of the first two overall picks, but Phil Jackson attended this workout, and if he feels as strongly as some others, the Knicks just might.
