New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez Share Special Connection
New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson may have found something special with big men Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez.
The New York Knicks may not be winning games in the short-term, but the future is as bright as it’s been in quite some time. Phil Jackson has built through the draft and acquired a number of crucial young pieces who were generally overlooked by the masses.
If any two players offer reason for sustainable optimism, it’s big men Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez.
Porzingis and Hernangomez were both acquired by the Knicks on the night of the 2015 NBA Draft. It was a heartwarming turn of events for two players who had become close friends while playing for Baloncesto Sevilla of Spain’s Liga ACB.
According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Hernangomez believes the special connection he shares with Porzingis is the source of their success on the court.
“I think KP and me, we have special connection,” Hernangomez said. “When he looks to me, I know what he wants. The same [for me]. I think it’s nice. We play more time together, we played a couple years ago together and the things are going good, so I think we have to keep working the same way and be ready.”
The more they play together, the more intriguing the results become.
Porzingis and Hernangomez offered a look at the future during the Knicks’ 95-90 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 1. Porzingis stepped up with 19 points, 12 rebounds, four offensive rebounds, and two blocks, including 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Hernangomez stole the show with 16 points, 16 rebounds, seven offensive boards, two assists, two steals, and a block in his best performance to date.
It was Hernangomez’s second consecutive double-double, as he recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds against the Washington Wizards just one day prior.
On a night where Carmelo Anthony spent the fourth quarter on the bench, Hernangomez and Porzingis stepped up. The key to their success was the chemistry they developed between 2013 and 2015 as members of Baloncesto Sevilla of Spain’s Liga ACB.
That chemistry was no more evident than when Hernangomez found Porzingis for a streaking dunk with a gorgeous pass from the post.
That play is a microcosm of what makes Hernangomez and Porzingis the future faces of the franchise.
Friendship and accountability could make Willy Hernangomez and Kristaps Porzingis the saviors of the New York Knicks.
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