Bears Blitz

Published by Yaron Weitzman on November 4, 2016
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

NEW YORK — This is what happens when you value present wins over the development of the franchise player.

You get fourth quarters where Kristaps Porzingis plays just two minutes like he did against the Detroit Pistons Tuesday, and games where he attempts just four shots like he did against the Houston Rockets Wednesday.

It all goes back to the signing of Joakim Noah. Noah has looked fantastic this season, and he and Porzingis have already developed a strong chemistry on offense.

And Noah might be the only player who consistently looks for Porzingis in the post.

But Noah’s presence also means Porzingis has to spend the majority of his minutes alongside another center, forcing him to guard power forwards. Most teams these days play stretch 4s, and so Porzingis is now guarding out on the perimeter, something he, understandably given his height, is not comfortable with.

Head coach Jeff Hornacek has said that Porzingis has been working on that part of his game every day in practice, but he’s still struggling, especially on closeouts. There have been a number of times when opponents have sent him flying with a pump fake.

“You know, he’s 7’3″, sometimes that’s going to be difficult for him,” Hornacek said this week. “He’s got long strides. It’s a little tougher on a guy that big to stop.” 

That, no doubt, led to Hornacek‘s decision to keep Porzingis on the bench in favor of Lance Thomas for the majority of the fourth quarter against the Pistons, a team that loves to space the floor around Andre Drummond. 

On the other end of the floor, the biggest issue has been the lack of chemistry between Porzingis and Derrick Rose. Or, put more bluntly, Rose seems unaware that Porzingis is even on his team. He’s assisted on just one—yes, one—Porzingis basket through four games, according to NBA.com. 

“They’re getting to learn each other and where their games are, and we try to show tape that when KP’s down there just all you got to do is throw it in the air. He’s taller than everybody,” Hornacek said this week when asked about the connection between the two.

“So Derrick, he’ll get the chemistry with KP. Right now I think he’s trying to figure out all these plays. A lot of his teammates are new to him, but I think that’s hopefully not too far into the season that all these guys become familiar. KP has to understand when Derrick’s going to throw it. Derrick does a lot of drives to the basket, kind of jumps up in the air. You got to create an angle where, if Derrick is going to make that pass, it’s not through hands.”

Still, the addition of Rose and his ability to knife into the paint were supposed to make things easier for Porzingis. So far that has not been the case. Not only is Porzingis shooting just 41.3 percent from the field, but his usage rate has also dropped from 24.6 to 20.0, according to Basketball Reference. 

One answer could be (wait for it…) running less triangle. Porzingis‘ best moments have come in other sets. This screen-the-screener action is a great example:

But this is the problem with trying to win games and develop a star. Sometimes it’s hard to find ways for the two goals to coexist. 

Knicks Insider Notebook

Dog Days on Defense

The offense and the triangle receive most of the focus, but it’s the defensive end where the Knicks have the ability to win games.

According to John Hollinger‘s team statistics, they finished 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions last season (104.8) and made significant upgrades to the defense in the offseason by bringing in Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah to replace Jose Calderon, Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez. 

But things aren’t exactly going as planned. Through four games, the Knicks are surrendering 108.6 points per 100 possessions, the fourth-worst number in the league. They’re allowing teams to get to the rim at will (only the Lakers are giving up more shots at the rim) and shoot a scorching 39.8 percent from deep. 

Lots of layups and three-pointers—not a good combination.

The question, of course, is what’s behind these struggles? The problem is that no one seems to know the answer. 

At first head coach Jeff Hornacek mentioned the team’s inability to properly help on drivers and then recover to weak-side shooters. 

“There are guys on our team—Justin (Holiday) does it, Courtney (Lee) does it, it can be done,” he said at a recent practice. “It just takes a lot of effort. It takes that fundamentals to be in first and then get out.”

Then he talked about how he thought his guards were struggling to keep opposing ball-handlers in front of them. Joakim Noah said rebounding (the Knicks are allowing the second-most offensive boards per game) was the primary issue.

Lee thinks the Knicks are unprepared for opposing schemes because they spent so much time practicing against the triangle offense, an offense that no other team runs. 

That the Knicks have been unable to pinpoint a specific issue doesn’t bode well for the future. So while it’s understandable that Hornacek (perhaps under the guise of team president Phil Jackson) wants to keep working on the offense, it’s the porous defense that’s holding the Knicks back right now and that has the potential to derail the entire season. 

Good Doggy 

Canine lovers, be prepared to fall in love with Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas.

Kuzminskas, a 27-year-old Lithuanian, spent the past three years playing in Spain’s ACB league and was signed by the Knicks in July. He’s a 6’9″ forward with a smooth jumper and solid offensive game who struggles on the defensive end. He’s still adjusting, and it’s unlikely he sees many minutes this season.

Which is fine, because that should leave him with plenty of time to boost the Instagram profile of his dog.

Yes, you read that correctly. Kuzminskas owns a dog. Said dog has his own Instagram account.

Welcome to the 21st century NBA. 

“Hey, I am Snaige(Snowflake)!,” the profile description reads. “Really smart, happy and playfull (sic) dog.”

“It’s my fiancee who does it,” Kuzminskas said to Bleacher Report when asked about the account after a recent practice. “It’s all her, I promise.”

According to Kuzminskas, the account (which was first noticed by the brilliant folks at NBA Catwatch) was created four moths ago so that friends and family back home could see pictures of the dog even with Kuzminskas living in the United States. He added that he and his fiancee have had the dog for about three years. 

So do his teammates know about his dog’s Instagram account?

“No, and I’d like to keep it that way,” Kuzminskas said. He then began to make his way into the locker room before turning around one more time.

“I don’t like these questions,” he said with a smile. “When I go back, I’m going to delete the account.”

Snowflake hasn’t shared a new picture since. 

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats accurate as of November 3.

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