While he’s shown he can do the job as a primary defender on stretch power forwards (limiting Anthony Davis to 6-of-14, Kevin Love to 4-of-13 and Chris Bosh to 3-of-12, according to NBA Savant), he’s struggled to stop a handful of centers who are most comfortable playing with their backs to the basket, like DeMarcus Cousins (4-of-8), Karl-Anthony Towns (6-of-8), John Henson (4-of-5) and Tiago Splitter (4-of-4). So there’s a decent chance Vucevic would’ve continued that trend, given that Porzingis “is not a finished product” at center yet, as Fisher said recently.
Still, the coach should know that challenging his rookie, and seeing what Porzingis is capable of, carries more benefit than repeatedly using a veteran who isn’t getting the job done on a given night—especially since, with a solid start to the season, Fisher will likely get the benefit of the doubt this year from team president Phil Jackson, who hired him into the job and with whom he shares personal and professional ties.
Above all else, the scenario, both on Monday and going forward, is a litmus test for a franchise that is in the process of becoming more patient with its young players after decades of having skipped that step. (The Knicks have seen an NBA-high 99 different players suit up and play since 2009—nine more than any other team, according to Stats LLC—and haven’t re-signed a first-round pick to a multiyear deal since Charlie Ward in 1999.)
Striking a balance is what the Knicks have to learn to do, both with Porzingis and fellow first-rounder Jerian Grant, who recently had a pair of eyebrow-raising DNPs where 31-year-old Sasha Vujacic, who owns the NBA’s second-lowest field-goal percentage, played over him.
Fisher should feel a bit more comfortable letting Porzingis play without Carmelo Anthony having to be on the court simultaneously, to stagger the team’s scoring options better and to gradually let the Latvian rookie experience what it’s like to have a handful of possessions run through him, as the offense’s main option. (Just 10% of his minutes, less than three minutes a night, have come with Anthony on the bench.)
Either way, Fisher and the Knicks would be wise not to get too caught up in the standings and the fact that they remain in contention for a playoff spot. More than anything, they need to do all they can to help Porzingis mature as a player, and some of that stems from giving him opportunities in scenarios like Monday’s game.
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