Kristaps Porzingis rookie season was off to a great start but unfortunately, much like the New York Knicks season, it ended in disappointment. Kristaps was an early favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award but those hopes faded along with the Knicks playoff hopes.
The Knicks had a very eventful summer. They added Derrick Rose, amid some legal drama of his own, in a trade and signed veterans in big man Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and potential sixth man of the year candidate in Brandon Jennings. There’s some ‘super team’ expectations from some around the Knicks but many NBA fans don’t see it that way. Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t see it that way himself either, he has some tempered expectations. Playoffs should be the goal for the Knicks, says Porzingis.
KP said the following during an event to ESPN’s Ian Begley.
Kristaps Porzingis: "The No. 1 goal is the playoffs."
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 17, 2016
Knicks making the playoffs in 2017 would mark the first time the team made the playoffs since their 2013 second round exit. If healthy, the expectations to make the playoffs should be an easy task for New York. The thing is, once they make it, how far can they go? Championship might not be in the cards but could they challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference? Only time will tell.