Dirk: Porzingis 'way ahead of the curve' compared to me at his age
Dirk Nowitzki always has time to praise his protege Kristaps Porzingis.
The Dallas Mavericks power forward will play his New York Knicks counterpart in a week's time, and he used the opportunity to send the ever-improving Porzingis some more compliments.
"He's way ahead of the curve (compared to where I was). My first year I was struggling straight out of Germany and he had that great rookie year. If he stays injury-free, working like that - and I know he will - the sky's going to be the limit," Nowitzki said, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Porzingis often draws comparisons to Nowitzki given they're both offensively gifted 7-foot European players that are equally comfortable playing inside and out, but the similarities through their first three seasons are uncanny.
Numbers by age 22
| Statistic | Porzingis | Nowitzki |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 30.8 | 33.3 |
| Points | 17.1 | 17.6 |
| Rebounds | 7.1 | 6.9 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| FG% | 46.0 | 43.9 |
| 3PT% | 35.1 | 36.8 |
The biggest difference between the two has been on the defensive end. Porzingis is an elite rim-protector, whereas Nowitzki was average at best early in his career - a point the 39-year-old happily conceded.
"He plays a lot more defense than I ever have, I'll tell you that. He's amazing because he's got great timing with the long arms on the shot blocks coming out of nowhere."