Whether fair or foul, any and every European player who’s tall and can shoot will be compared to Dirk Nowitzki. The likes of Andrea Bargnani and Jan Vesely notably drew those comparisons and proceeded to become coveted NBA Draft prospects.
New York Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis isn’t a Nowitzki carbon copy, but he appears to have the best shot at justifying the hype.
Porzingis has already made enough progress to warrant the label of New York’s next franchise player. He posted gaudy statistics as a rookie and has come back even stronger and more polished in 2016-17.