NBA Knicks cautious with Porzingis

When the Knicks travel to London for a four-night visit — crossing the Atlantic Ocean to face the Washington Wizards, a team usually an Amtrak ride away — they almost certainly will leave their biggest European draw, Kristaps Porzingis, back home.

But putting Porzingis on display for the British crowds is not nearly as important as the real showcase they hope isn’t far off. Knicks coach David Fizdale said he has seen Porzingis on the court working with assistant coach Kaleb Canales, and what he’s seen portends well for using the rehabilitating star as a drawing card for potential free agents.

Porzingis hasn’t played in a game since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Feb. 6, 2018, and he won’t play in a game for a while; the Knicks plan a re-evaluation in mid-February.

But Fizdale said that what he’s seen looks like the player who was poised to serve as the face of the franchise — and maybe even better.

“I don’t see a drop,” he said. “That I don’t see. I haven’t seen him move in a way that makes me go ”uh-oh.“I think we’re going about it the right way. His body looks great. He looks strong, he’s defined. It’s just a matter of time, and when we get him, we’ll be happy.”

The Knicks’ player development and rebuilding plan for this season looked good on paper. First, sacrifice wins right now. Mission accomplished with a 10-32 record. No matter how many times they say they want to win every game, they clearly have prioritized the future by benching win-now players. They have watched their latest first-round lottery pick, Kevin Knox, begin to show hints of what he can become and are positioning themselves to be near the top of the next NBA draft. Porzingis has been kept out of action, and when he’s healed in full, he might be teamed with a star free-agent acquisition next season.

But part of the problem is it’s hard to sell someone on playing with Porzingis when no one quite knows what to expect from him.

Knicks president Steve Mills detailed the process last month and said at the time that he already was seeing Porzingis shooting pull-up three-pointers and dunking. Fizdale said it’s still the same workload now, but mostly out of caution.

“We’re still being cautious, I would say,” he said. “But at the same time, just pushing, getting to the next level, jumping and moving, his strides and all of that stuff. Today I walked by and just put my hand up (hiding his eyes), because it’s just for me, it’s like, I can’t even say what it is.

“God, I’ve got this 7-foot beast here, so I’ll literally be like this,” he said, shielding his eyes again. “He started laughing. He said, ‘Don’t look, Coach. Don’t look.’ But he’s progressing, and I think he’s in a really good place right now.”

That place is the Knicks’ practice site in Westchester County rather than accompanying the team to London.

Kalani Brown, Baylor. The Fever could use a big post player, and the 6-foot-8 Brown would fill that role well.

4. Chicago: Ezi Magbegor, Australia. Decided to play professional basketball at home instead of going to a U.S. college. She’s 6-foot-4 and athletic and will be a difficult guard for opposing teams. Would give new coach James Wade an athletic post player.

5. Dallas: Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn. Would give Dallas a much-needed consistent threat from the outside to potentially complement Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins.

6. Minnesota: Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame. Definitely knows how to hit the big shot after connecting on game-winners in the Final Four and NCAA title game last season.

7. Los Angeles: Napheesa Collier, UConn. New coach Derek Fisher would have gain another athletic post player to join Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker.

8. Phoenix: Brianna Turner, Notre Dame. Turner would provide coach Sandy Brondello more athleticism in the post. When healthy she’s one of the best players in college basketball.

9. Connecticut: Sophie Cunningham, Missouri. The 6-foot-1 Cunningham was an All-SEC pick last season who averaged 18.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. She could provide another offensive spark and toughness

Alanna Smith, Stanford. Provides another 3-pointer shooter for the Dream as Smith is shooting 48 percent from behind the arc. She’s also strong on the defensive side blocking shots and stealing the ball.

12. Seattle: Anriel Howard, Mississippi State. Has been a solid contributor on both ends of the court for coach Vic Schaefer. Great rebounder for her size at 5-foot-11.

SECOND ROUND

1. Phoenix: Jessica Shepard, Notre Dame. A terrific rebounder and scorer, Shepard showed last season at Notre Dame she can compete against elite-level players. She was instrumental in the Irish winning the national championship.

2. New York: Xu Han, China. The 19-year-old Chinese star had 20 points against the U.S. in the FIBA World Cup in September. She’s 6-foot-9 and only starting to tap into her talent. While she might be a few years away, coach Katie Smith was impressed with what she saw from Xu at the World Cup.

3. Chicago: Caliya Robinson, Georgia. A 6-foot-3 shot blocker who can also score. Would provide more depth in front court for Chicago.

4. Minnesota: Kenisha Bell, Minnesota. Cheryl Reeve would replace one Golden Gophers point guard with another. Firstyear coach Lindsay Whalen will have Bell ready for the

5. Dallas: Marina Mabrey, Notre Dame: With Skylar Diggins’ status for the season up in the air due to her pregnancy, would provide depth at the guard spot for new coach Brian Agler.

6. Minnesota: Kitija Laksa, South Florida. Laksa is recovering from an ACL tear and won’t be ready for the WNBA season, but is one of the top shooters in the college when healthy and showed she can play well against pros when she starred for Latvia at the World Cup.

7. Los Angeles: Chloe Jackson, Baylor. A huge game against UConn (11 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds), showed she can play against the best in college and moved her up the WNBA draft charts.

8. Minnesota: Jenna Allen, Michigan State. Is putting up big numbers for the Spartans this season and would provide frontcourt depth for the Lynx.

9. Connecticut: Megan Gustafson, Iowa. Leads the nation in scoring (26.4 points) and is fifth in rebounding. Would provide another strong inside presence for coach Curt Miller.

10. Dallas: Paris Kea, North Carolina. Can put points on the board as she became only the fourth Tar Heels player to score 1,000 points in her first two seasons with the program.

11. Atlanta: Kiara Leslie, N.C. State. Has had to step up her scoring lately with the injury to Grace Hunter. Will be a valuable scorer for the Dream.

12. Seattle: Cierra Dillard, Buffalo. A scorer who definitely has left her mark at Buffalo, getting them to the Sweet 16 last season.