The New York Knicks will host the Dallas Mavericks for the first matchup of the season between the two teams, pitting rookie Kristaps Porzingis against his idol, Dirk Nowitzki. Porzingis said he's looking forward to playing Dirk, but is hoping to learn from him, noting some similarities between the two.
“Yeah, I have some similarities with Dirk,” Porzingis said. “He's a way, way better shooter than I am. I’m trying to get there. I want to learn his post game, how he uses his body. I've seen a lot of highlights, games. My brother made a lot of highlights for me to watch and learn from him. I obviously know his game. But even if you know his game he's hard to stop."
Nowitzki praised Porzingis earlier in the season, calling him the "real deal," which Porzingis appreciated.
“It shows he sees potential in me and he sees that one day I could be a great player,” Porzingis said. “I use that motivation to turn my potential into what I know and those guys see that I can be one day.
"[Dirk]'s seventh in the all-time scoring list . . . that's incredible for a European player especially. He created the path for European players. I’m just trying to walk (in) his footsteps and maybe one day be as great as his.”
Porzingis is averaging 14.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game this year.
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