Porzingis 'fell in love' with Noah's intensity during first encounter

If their first back-and-forth as teammates is any indication of their chemistry on the hardwood this season, the New York Knicks' starting frontcourt of Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah will be just fine.

"The first conversation we had, I was in the training room. He came in with his shirt off, and I was like, ‘Oh man, you’ve been working out.’ ... And we kept on talking, and he just got so intense, like he really feels it," Porzingis said Saturday after hosting a youth camp, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "He was like, ‘Yeah, man, this is a big opportunity; we’ve got to give it our all.'

"That’s the type of guy that we want on our team. He brings that good energy. He brings that spirit, you know? So from the first opportunity that we got to talk, I fell in love with (his intensity)."

Related: Porzingis: Lack of touches 'doesn't matter' so long as Knicks win

Noah signed a four-year, $72-million contract with his hometown Knicks over the summer after spending the first nine years of his career with the Chicago Bulls. He missed all but 29 games during the 2015-16 campaign after undergoing surgery to stabilize his left shoulder.

His arrival should lead to less time at the five spot for Porzingis, who played 30 percent of his 2,047 rookie-year minutes at center. Noah isn't much of a scorer, so if the ball does go down to the post while the two share the floor, it will often end up in Porzingis' hands.

If Noah can maintain a clean bill of health, perhaps he can return to the form that won him Defensive Player of the Year in 2014, while finishing fourth in Most Valuable Player voting. That may be too much to ask of him at this stage, and with his questionable shoulder, though.

Regardless, the PorzinGOD-Noah tandem gives the Knicks its strongest one-two frontcourt punch in years.