Hornacek: Porzingis has 'improved greatly' as a shooter

Splashy roster moves made headlines for the New York Knicks this summer, but their hopes for a return to playoff contention rest largely on the internal development of sophomore Kristaps Porzingis.

As he enters his second season, under the weight of the outsize expectations he created for himself with a standout rookie campaign, the 21-year-old unicorn is already showing meaningful improvement as a shooter, according to new Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek.

"I think he's improved greatly from last year just watching him shoot," Hornacek told reporters after practice Thursday. "He's really feeling confident about the shot. His corner threes seem like they're automatic."

Porzingis shot 33.3 percent from 3-point range last season, which is a perfectly acceptable rate for a rookie big man, but one that will have to improve if he's actually going to stretch defenses. The corner three in particular could be an important new wrinkle in his game. Just 24 of his 243 3-point attempts came from the corners a season ago, and he knocked down only seven.

The Knicks are also encouraging him to take advantage of 3-point opportunities as a trailer on the fast break.

"I think that’s a high-percentage shot for me," Porzingis said. "Last year, Phil Jackson, he told me that he likes that shot. I wasn't so sure about it at first. It was early in the offense. I didn't know if it was the best shot. But once we saw the percentages, he said it's a pretty good look if I get that. The bigs a lot of times, they're giving me that space, then just take that shot. Once he said that I have his confidence in me, and it was just, 'Let it go.' I'll probably do the same thing this year."

Hornacek is looking for ways to goose a staid Knicks offense that ranked just 26th in the NBA last season, but if Porzingis can become a consistent threat from the perimeter, it'll do much of Hornacek's work for him. The most important thing, the coach explained, is for the 7-foot-3 Latvian to put a little more arc on his shot.

"The biggest thing for him is being a tall guy, they have a different perspective on how they're looking at the rim," Hornacek said, "and they have a tendency to shoot the ball a little flat."