It looks like the New York Knicks are rebuilding in the right direction after Los Angeles Lakers great and Hall of Famer James Worthy praised their no. 4 pick Kristaps Porzingis after seeing him debut in the Summer League.
Porzingis tallied 12 points in 18 minutes of action against the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday and that was enough for Worthy to be impressed.
"He's a freak of nature. He's a combination of Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant. It's a good pick for the Knicks," Worthy said in the Los Angeles Lakers broadcast, the New York Post reported.
The selection of Porzingis came as a surprise to some as the Knicks are in need of a player who can help them big time in their attempts of rebuilding the franchise.
Knicks president Phil Jackson was leaning towards Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell ahead the draft but he was selected no. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers who were expected to take center Jahlil Okafor from Duke University Blue Devils.
The arrival of Porzingis also sparked an issue involving Knicks star Carmelo Anthony who was reportedly upset with Jackson's decision of selecting the 19-year-old Latvian while also trading guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks.
But Anthony later said that Porzingis is a steal for the Knicks while responding to a fan's tweet.
Porzingis has been compared to international greats Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls.
If indeed he is of the same caliber with those stars in the future, then the Knicks' rebuilding process will be done soon.
But that is yet to be seen as New York aims for a better campaign following a 17-65 finish in the 2014-15 season that marked the second consecutive season that they missed the playoffs after reaching as far as the second-round during the 2012-13 season.
