Fizdale: Knicks could play Porzingis at small forward in ginormous lineup
Once injured All-Star Kristaps Porzingis returns to the fold sometime next season, freshly minted New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale envisions turning the towering Latvian loose in some supersized lineups.
"It's a luxury for me to have a guy that I can move around at different positions," Fizdale said of Porzingis - who stands 7-foot-3 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan - according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov. "At the same time I might do that, I might play him at what you call a small forward and go him, Luke (Kornet), and Mitch (Robinson) and put a whole bunch of wingspan with Kevin (Knox) at the two."
Add rising second-year point guard Frank Ntilikina to the mix and the Knicks could boast one of the biggest - and longest - five-man units the game has ever seen.
| Pos. | Player | Height | Wingsan |
|---|---|---|---|
| PG | F. Ntilikina | 6-foot-5 | 7-feet |
| SG | K. Knox | 6-foot-9 | 7-feet |
| SF | K. Porzingis | 7-foot-3 | 7-foot-6 |
| PF | L. Kornet | 7-foot-1 | 7-foot-2 |
| C | M. Robinson | 7-feet | 7-foot-5 |
Whether this would be a frequent lineup in the Knicks' arsenal obviously remains to be seen - and in any case, won't be witnessed until Porzingis recovers from the torn ACL he suffered in his left knee in early February. That doesn't mean Fizdale can't dream about the lineup permutations that his rim-protecting, sharpshooting big will eventually make possible.
"I can't lock (Porzingis) into nothing," Fizdale added. "I see a lot of places I can use him to be dynamic for us."