ORLANDO — So who gave an important pep talk to 7-3 Latvian rookie Kristaps Porzingis in July after Knicks fans booed their selection at No. 4? KG — as in Kevin Garnett.
During the Las Vegas summer league, the Knicks were heading to a morning shootaround and the Timberwolves were leaving the court. Garnett was helping out the Wolves in his role as player/sage adviser and came across the fellow skinny big man.
Garnett is known more for trash-talking than helping out opponents, but he stopped Porzingis.
“You hear the boos and KG gave me great advice,’’ Porzingis said at the Knicks’ morning shootaround before scoring eight points, grabbing eight rebounds and securing six blocks in the Knicks’ 100-91 loss to the Magic at the Amway Center. “He came up to me in the summer league and (said): ‘Use that as motivation. Just let that drive you every day when you step on the floor.’ That’s what I’m trying to do. I don’t focus on it. It’s not the only thing that drives me and it still sits inside me. I just want to prove those fans wrong, prove I could be a good player.’’
Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, in preseason, compared Porzingis to Garnett, saying all the cries for him to get bulkier are overstated. “The Big Fella’’ said KG had a pretty good career as a skinny big man.
Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony continues to talk up his new partner in crime. Earlier this week, his old partner in crime, Amar’e Stoudemire, suggested in Miami it never worked between the two because past coaches never put them strategically in a good place, as pick-and-roll partners.
All Anthony knows is the on-court flow between him and Porzingis is just right. Porzingis is playing the role of a stretch 4 that is suiting his game better than Stoudemire. The Knicks, in the late stages, tried to make Stoudemire a low-post player.
“I don’t think we thought that jell and chemistry we have so far would be there,’’ Anthony said. “We all thought all this would take some time to figure out. I never played with sort of a stretch 4. It makes the game a little more easier. It’s easier to figure that out. If you have a stretch 4, a guy who can play the wing, knowing where he’s at, knowing what he can do, that makes the game easier, makes the chemistry process much easier. I was always kind of the stretch 4.’’
Anthony’s natural position is small forward and the starting frontcourt of Robin Lopez, Porzingis and Anthony seems to be working better and better. Lopez, coach Derek Fisher has noted, is giving Porzingis more opportunities to clean the glass because the former Blazer boxes out his guy so well.
But the potential star tandem of Anthony and Porzingis has so much offensive potential. Porzingis is averaging — in the per-36 minutes category — 18.3 and 12.2 rebounds
“We just once we got on the floor we exchange positions,’’ Porzingis said. “We just feel each other and play off each other. The way he plays, it’s easy. He’s the leader on the court, guiding everybody, where to be on the floor space out. It’s really easy to play with him because he creates for others, makes the game easier.’’
Anthony didn’t necessarily agree with Stoudemire’s assessment and feels there were a host of reasons why the former All-Star duo didn’t do more damage. During their nearly five seasons together, the Knicks made three straight playoff berths but never got out of the second round.
“I know I never had that conversation,’’ Anthony said of whether the two discussed trying to get into more pick-and-rolls.
“I think the game was different. The system was different — a lot different than what we’re in now. Now it’s made for KP to trail and be that spread 4. Back then it was Amar’e in the post and I’d throw it in the post, he was working on his post game and was very efficient down there. It wasn’t more pick-and-rolls when me and him were together. It was whole other factors — injuries — him being on the court, me not being on the court, vice versa.
“We didn’t have that much time together when you look at the big scheme of seasons on the court together when we really had a chance to make it work,’’ Anthony added.
Stoudemire, who is playing very sparingly in Miami, missed the rout over the Knicks because of the flu but plans to be ready for the rematch Friday at the Garden.