Porzingis hopes to play again before rookie season is over

The New York Knicks are playing out the string on a third straight non-playoff season, and the team's rookie phenom - who helped make this campaign feel infinitely more promising than the two preceding it - hopes to play at least some of it out with them, before his first-ever NBA locker clean-out.

Kristaps Porzingis has missed the last three games with a shoulder strain suffered while blocking New Orleans Pelicans swingman Alonzo Gee at the rim last week, but he wants to end his debut season on his own terms.

"I'm young, and I always want to be on the floor," he said Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. "At the same time, I want to be smart about this. Nothing really to gain the last few games but I think I'll be back for the last two, three games hopefully. But it's not my decision at the end of the day."

Knicks interim head coach Kurt Rambis has said that Porzingis won't return until his shoulder is 100 percent, which makes sense given that the team has nothing to play for, and that its future rests on the 20-year-old's slender shoulders.

Porzingis understands what's at stake, so he's trying not to let his expectations stray too far from reality.

"I'm feeling every day a little better, getting better with the treatment," he said. "For myself I'd be happy to come back today or next game but I have to take it easy, listen to the doctors. They're the ones making the decision. I'm not trying to push it or force it and come back early. Whenever I'm healthy, I'll be back."

The No. 4 overall pick in last summer's draft trails only Karl-Anthony Towns in rookie production this season in the NBA, averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 72 games.

The Knicks - despite sitting a disappointing 13th in the Eastern Conference - have eclipsed last season's win total by 14, with four games still to play.