Porzingis’ Historic NumbersKristaps Porzingis seems to show us something new and equally as impressive every single night he’s on the floor. From the high-flying putback dunks to the long-range shots, Porzingis is making the transition to the NBA look fairly natural. The numbers the young man is compiling are not only noteworthy but also historic. @TommyBeer from Basketball Insiders writes, Porzingis is one of only two NBA players currently leading their team in rebounds, blocks, and steals (Andre Dummond). Porzingis also joined an elite group (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, Lamar Odom, Blake Griffin) to combine for 80+ points and 60+ rebound in their first seven career games. Additionally, he has posted three double-doubles in the seven outings this year.
Galloway’s Eye-Opening StartWho leads the league in 3-point shooting with at least three attempts per game? The answer is: Langston Galloway. The 23-year old is off to a stellar start to the season by averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals per 36 minutes. He’s shooting a sparkling 61.5 percent beyond the arc and has been a force off the pine for the Knicks. Fisher has used Galloway in crunch time minutes while pairing him next to Jerian Grant in the second unit. Galloway’s impact is clearly evident and he’ll soon receive national recognition for these eye-opening performances.
Improvement NumbersGranted it’s a small sample but the Knicks are showing some significant improvements on both sides of the ball. This year, New York’s defensive rating is 99.9 compared to 107.2 in 2014-15. Offensively, the Knicks have registered a 100.6 offensive rating this season compared to 97.1 a year ago.
Afflalo’s StatusOn Sunday afternoon, Arron Afflalo was on the floor, sprinting baseline to baseline in front of the Knicks strength and conditioning staff. While New York’s shooting guard did not suit up for the contest against the Lakers, he showed some significant progress after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury since training camp.
Prior to boarding a plane for Toronto on Monday, head coach Derek Fisher was optimistic about Afflalo potential return this week.
“Not necessarily expect but definitely hopeful,” Fisher answered. “He’s looking good, working really hard. Chances tomorrow night are probably a little slimmer than Wednesday but we’ll just have to see how he reacts today, it was a pretty intense workout and tomorrow as well.”
The Knicks backcourt could benefit from the return of Afflalo to help defend some of the speedsters in the league. He can also create post-up opportunities at the guard position and provide some depth.
First Home WinThe Knicks rallied down the stretch on Sunday afternoon on an 18-4 run to upend Kobe Bryant’s Lakers. In what could be Bryant’s last appearance at MSG, New York sent him packing with the loss and captured its first victory of the season at the Mecca. This was an important win for the orange and blue considering the difficulty of the schedule in the early part of the season. The Sunday contest marked the first matchup for the Knicks against a non-playoff team this year.