Porzingis stealthy in plan to stay healthy
Kristaps Porzingis believes he’s found a new formula for staying healthy this season and not hit the wall — as he did late in his first two NBA campaigns.
Porzingis, who is averaging 32 points per game through the first two contests, revealed he underwent a battery of tests by doctors in Spain over the summer and they deduced he was “overtraining.”
The testing was set up by his European trainer, Manolo Valdivieso, who has worked with him since he played in the Spanish league.
Hence, Porzingis said he will make adjustments in future offseasons and during the 82-game grind. He only played in one full preseason game and half of another because of a hip injury.
He’s already brought Valdivieso to New York to monitor him this season.
“What I learned this summer about myself is they did a lot of testing and I was al- ways overtraining,’’ Porzingis said after practice Sunday, when he was held out of some drills because of minor knee soreness. “I was always doing too much. Even with this long summer with the national team, I feel great and fresh and able to recover faster after games.”
Staying effective for the whole season and not losing weight as he had in the first two years is the goal.
“It’s going to be key for me this season — not overtraining,’’ Porzingis said. “Not coming in super early in the morning after a game to get a workout in. That doesn’t help my weight either. I keep losing weight. Those things add up and by the end of the season, I’m drained.”
After Christmas last season, Porzingis’ numbers tailed off. In his first year, Porzingis hit the proverbial rookie wall in March. He’s also been out with injuries in the final two weeks of each of his two seasons.
“The doctor said it,’’ Porzingis said. “My resistance is good. I don’t need to be running 10 miles a day. I have to keep lifting weights to keep strength and getting enough rest as possible.
Regarding the tests, Por- zingis said, “I was a rabbit. I was doing all kinds of stuff. Running all day. They were killing me, putting things on me, taking blood.”
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek didn’t seem fully aware of Porzingis’ tests in Spain, but generally thinks the Knicks training staff is aware of not pushing him too hard this season. Hornacek let go Porzingis’ favorite assistant coach, Josh Longstaff, over the summer.
“I don’t have our trainers and doctors telling us that,’’ Hornacek said about overtraining. “But we have to be alert to days before the game. He is a big guy and we need him out there for the games. But you can get better in practice. When you get going in the season, it’s going to be awful hard to have big practices the day before the game. It’s going to be every other day and stuff like that. He’ll get plenty of rest on those days.”
French rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina sat out practice with his latest ailment — a sprained left ankle that cost him the home opener. Hornacek hasn’t ruled him out for Tuesday in Boston.