NO ROSEY OUTLOOK
Porzingis admits he's not clicking with veteran guard
NEW ORLEANS — Though he is a two-event participant during All-Star Weekend, Kristaps Porzingis isn’t happy in his second season with the Knicks.
The losses, the injuries, his role in the offense, his chemistry with new point guard Derrick Rose are all concerns for the 7-foot-3 Latvian phenom.
Since a spectacular November, Porzingis has tailed off, admitting coach Jeff Hornacek’s hybrid triangle offense has failed to produce consistency.
It has been noted backup point guard Brandon Jennings seems to target Porzingis more so than Rose.
In fact, one NBA source The Post, “I don’t think Derrick is helping Porzingis’s growth, with his head down going to the basket, not really looking for him.’’
Indeed, Porzingis would like a better feel for Rose’s game.
“We’re still trying to find that connection between us, where we know exactly where the guy’s going to be,’’ Porzingis said before the World squad beat the U.S., 150-141, on Friday in the Rising Stars Challenge. Porzingis scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. “I’ve been trying to roll to the basket more. That’s another adjustment for the guards. I’m not always at the 3point line. We have to get a really good feel for each other. That doesn’t happen overnight. We’re still trying to work on that.’’
Porzingis averaged 20.1 points and shot 46 percent in his first 32 games. In the last 17, he has averaged 14.9 points and shot 41.9 percent. He made just one basket in the final three quarters in Oklahoma City on Wednesday as he battled a recurring stomach illness. He has missed seven games with Achilles tendinitis and one with food poisoning.
“I started the season playing really well,’’ Porzingis said at the Superdome. “Then I had health problems, Achilles problems. From that point, I haven’t been struggling, but it’s up and down. Not consistent. I’m trying to get back my rhythm, play the right way, doing whatever it takes to make that playoff run. For me, I always say [stats] are secondary. If we’re winning games and I wasn’t doing unbelievably [but] I’m playing good, I’m happy.”
Last season, Porzingis was more of a highlight reel on offense, more active, throwing down massive offensive putback dunks. The second-year power forward feels he has got to do more without the ball.
“Especially playing at my position, I might not get the ball a few times in a row,’’ said Porzingis, averaging 18.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. “That happens. You have to be ready for that. Do whatever else you can on the court. That’s my mentality. As a guard it’s different. Until that mo- ment comes when the ball comes to me every time, I have to find a way to be effective with offensive rebounds, play hard defense, blocking shots.’’
Hornacek’s attempt to stray partially from the triangle hasn’t meant any more victories (23-34) than under Derek Fisher.
According to one player, the Knicks played the triangle exceptionally well in gaining a 17-point lead on Oklahoma City in the second quarter. But when the Thunder started taking away some of those actions, the Knicks couldn’t counteract. Hence, Hornacek deviated at halftime to more of their standard “early offense.” The club just hasn’t mastered the triangles’s nuances.
“We don’t really know it as well as we did last year,’’ Porzingis admitted. “We played it the whole time. We knew it much better than this year. For the triangle to really work, everybody needs to be on the same page and know how to play it. I think we have a lot of places to grow as a team that plays triangle. I love the triangle. It’s a great offense if you execute it well. We’ve been going back and forth playing both.’’
There could even be new players after the trade deadline next week to learn the complex system.
“That might happen,’’ said Por- zingis, who will compete in Saturday’s Skills Challenge. “I’m here. I try to relax, but still thinking about season the whole time. We’ll see what happens. There might be some changes.”
Knicks rookie center Willy Hernangomez was headed to Mexico with his brother Juan, of the Nuggets, when the call came that he was to be an injury replacement for the World team in the rookie-sophomore event.
Hernangomez grabbed six rebounds and scored two points in 15 minutes of action.
Hernangomez is still is off to Mexico, but on Saturday.