Kristaps Porzingis of the Dallas Mavericks is reminding us why he is such a valued basketball player.
After a season of weak output and an even worse postseason, Porzingis has been back in fine form for Dallas, creating 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, two assists, and even 1.6 blocks per game.
Porzingis is good again – in fact, he’s sometimes even better than Mavericks heart-and-soul Luka Doncic.
New head coach Jason Kidd has seemingly figured out how to best use Porzingis and that’s helping the team in a huge way.
What will his role be moving forward as the team struggles to stay in playoff contention?
Assist Luka
Let’s be honest: the biggest job Porzingis has is to assist and help Doncic in every way.
As good as other players on the team are, the Mavericks will still be built around Doncic.
There was a time when it didn’t seem like he was getting the hang of this.
He is definitely grasping the concept now.
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis tonight:
52 points
19 rebounds
14 assistsW. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5GsLicKGig
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) November 16, 2021
Porzingis is attempting fewer three-point shots and is instead focusing on assists.
He is also stepping up his rebounds, specifically on offense, meaning that he is playing to his strength and doing what is needed to get hold of the ball and back into Doncic’s hands.
Porzingis is also taking pressure off of Doncic with the offense by scoring more.
But you will see he is being much smarter about his shot selection and isn’t attempting to land ridiculous three-pointers.
In other words, Porzingis is remembering that he is a large, lanky, physically imposing player who can do a lot with ball-handling and assists.
Porzingis Is Position-Less?
Coach Kidd is surely looking back at Porzginis’ time with the New York Knicks.
This is obvious when you note that Porzingis is moving away from playing center and is instead being more of a power forward, a role he employed back in New York.
It’s not entirely clear who will be center with Porzginis playing a smaller position but maybe that’s the point.
Porzingis has repeatedly been called “The Unicorn” because his fans claim he can play any role on the court, any position the team needs.
Kristaps Porzingis showing everything in his bag 💯pic.twitter.com/SbkTwCyniO
— Mavs Nation (@MavsNationCP) December 16, 2021
While he is better in some spots than others, he is quite adept at performing in different positions, especially for a guy his size.
Moving forward, it looks like Kidd will rely on that skill and will not just use Porzingis as the center, but a power forward and even sometimes a point guard.
However, his primary role will always be using his size to his advantage and securing the ball for Dallas.
For Dallas to succeed, Porzingis needs to use his substantial size to the team’s advantage – yet always remember that most play should always go through Doncic.
In a season with many problems and concerns, the improved record of Porzingis is one reason for Dallas fans to be happy – and optimistic that perhaps things can get better.
There is still a long way to go for the Mavericks to be playoff-ready but Porzingis is doing the work and is finally the player they need him to be.
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