Start me up!
Health permitting, rookie Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be the Knicks’ starting power forward on opening night Wednesday in Milwaukee, Derek Fisher said.
The Knicks coach proclaimed he plans for the 7-foot-3 Latvian to start in the preseason finale in Boston on Thursday in a frontcourt with Carmelo Anthony and Robin Lopez with Jose Calderon and Arron Afflalo sharing the backcourt.
As long as the group comes out without injury, Fisher said he would use that lineup against the Bucks when the Knicks open their season next week as long shots to make the playoffs.
Fisher said Porzingis and the other four also could finish games if things go right. Asked what he likes about the five-man unit featuring the rookie project, Fisher said: “The size, the strength, length up front, they can score. They’re a veteran group other than Kris.
“That group is going to be more about execution, working together. I think the defense has to respect each of those guys for who they are and what they can do on the floor. It’s potentially a group of guys who can be comfortable at the end of games as well.
It’s important to find five guys comfortable with endgame situations also.’’
Porzingis struggled in his most recent outing on Saturday, looking rusty after sitting out two straight games with a quad strain. He was 3-of-11 and had his dunk rejected by Charlotte’s Cody Zeller. Al Jefferson also scored a couple of second-quarter hoops against Porzingis in the deep post.
The durability of the Knicks’ new, skinny poster boy is a huge issue, and Porzingis said the 82-game grind will be new to him. He played once or two times a week in Spain.
“We never played back-to-backs,’’ Porzingis said. “I haven’t heard anybody who says it was easy, 82 games. [I was told] you better take care of your body because it’s a long season.’’
Forwards Kyle O’Quinn and Derrick Williams had solid preseasons and Porzingis’ starting berth is not set in stone, especially if he ultimately hits the rookie wall.
“I hear about how hard it is but once you go through it, you’re actually feeling it through your own skin,” Porzingis said. “Hopefully, I don’t hit that wall. But it happens to everybody.’’
Fisher said he won’t commit to how many minutes Porzingis may average despite president Phil Jackson’s estimate in the 20-minute range. However, the Knicks coach said 82 games is “a huge adjustment for guys making the jump from college or international. That’s what separates the men from the boys.
“If he continues to get better and remains healthy then we’ll see how the minutes go,’’ Fisher said. “Kris has the ability to play that level of minutes.”
This week’s NBA general managers’ prediction poll didn’t rate Porzingis highly. He wasn’t given a vote for potential Rookie of the Year honors, and five rookies were voted ahead of him when the general managers were asked which rookie will be the best in five years.
“I guess so,’’ Porzingis said when asked if league executives still have questions. “If that’s what the poll says. It’s now in my hands to be the best player I can be in five years, 10 years. [I’ll] use that as motivation. It’s not easy to be great every game. Most important thing is to play hard and [play] my heart out and fans will love me for that.’’
Porzingis has called Slovenian shooting guard Sasha Vujacic his mentor. The European duo spent the final 20 minutes of practice Wednesday doing drills and having a free-throw shooting contest.
One of the drills included throwing a ball behind the back off a wall and catching it with the other hand in continuous motion. Porzingis showed his dexterity.
Porzingis said Vujacic showed him the drill to develop “hand-and-eye coordination, get the ball from one hand to another. It’s pretty good, especially for a big guy like me.’’
Fisher cracked, “I don’t know about the behind-the-back stuff. I don’t know about 7-3 guys’ behind-the-back passes off the wall. Kris might pull it out and it might work.’’
The Knicks coach said he believes their bond works because Vujacic knows the differences between playing in Europe and the NBA, plus the shooting guard has experience in the triangle offense as a Laker.
“I think there’s a lot of things he can offer Kris,’’ Fisher said.
Porzingis will enter the regular season without having played an NBA team at the Garden — he missed the Knicks’ two Garden preseason games. His lone MSG appearance was against Brazilian power Bauru.
“It’s the last game to prepare for myself for the season,’’ Porzingis said of Thursday’s preseason finale. “It’s important to play as hard as I can and get my conditioning better.’’