Kristaps Porzingis appeared gentle and breezy as he sat down for his first media day as a Washington Wizard. Ever affable, he opened by joking with a reporter about his new beard. He sounded relaxed; he appeared tan. He had spent most of his summer season in his native Latvia with household, coaching and competing together with his nationwide workforce in two FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Earlier than that, there was a month in Spain.
Washington
Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis is leaner — and starts year without limitations
However — and you’ll be forgiven for not noticing on his 7-foot-3 body — Porzingis not solely appeared lighter, he is lighter. The Wizards’ greatest huge man is a teeny bit smaller as of late. He misplaced seven kilos, and he feels the distinction.
“The additional weight doesn’t actually assist me,” Porzingis mentioned. “I have to be sturdy and that’s how I’ll really feel one of the best.”
Porzingis’s focus heading into his first summer season after becoming a member of the Wizards on the commerce deadline final season was his physique. The previous all-star performed simply 51 video games final season partially due to a bone bruise in his proper knee and hasn’t performed greater than 57 in a season since 2016-17.
Enhancing his endurance was the first aim. Porzingis’s recreation doesn’t require him to be a hulking, bodily bruiser, however by getting right down to a trim 235 kilos and gaining muscle in his legs, he hopes to have the ability to keep on the courtroom for a full season and be extra cell on the defensive finish.
The Wizards are banking on it as they put together for a marketing campaign during which the overarching intention is easy, in case you ask President and Basic Supervisor Tommy Sheppard.
“Simply proceed to enhance,” Sheppard mentioned.
Enchancment for the Wizards means not lacking the play-in event for the second straight yr, staying wholesome and exhibiting that Bradley Beal and Porzingis can flourish as a core duo.
Porzingis begins his seventh yr within the NBA because the third key determine the Wizards have paired with Beal, who signed a five-year, $251 million contract over the summer season.
Collectively, the 2 are owed $77 million in 2022-23.
Coach Wes Unseld Jr. mentioned Tuesday the 27-year-old Latvian is starting the season taking part in with out restrictions — gone are the minute caps and the necessity to sit out the second half of back-to-back video games that Porzingis handled final season as he recovered from his knee damage.
Now the query is concerning the chemistry between Porzingis and Beal. The pair by no means shared the courtroom final season as a result of Beal was rehabbing an injured wrist by the point Porzingis arrived. Over the summer season, Porzingis was in Europe and Beal started figuring out in late July or early August. Beal spent his offseason welcoming his third son and recovering from torn ligaments in his wrist.
They’ve performed collectively in “three or 4 pickup video games,” Porzingis mentioned Friday. The remaining will likely be found out because the season unfolds.
“He’s harmful. He’s harmful, man,” Beal mentioned, providing his first impressions of Porzingis. “I’m jealous I’m not 7-3. I’m an entire foot shorter, however I’m excited. As a result of he’s a specimen. He’s in all probability one of the best huge I’ll play with in my profession — to see his measurement, his versatility, his skill to stretch the ground, unfold the ground. His skill to move is underrated. And his defensive capabilities are underrated, too; he’s one other man I feel had a false narrative about him. I feel he’ll show lots of people incorrect. I’m excited to see.”
Enjoying Porzingis alongside Beal offers the Wizards the chance to stretch the courtroom with a guard who can drive and an enormous able to capturing three-pointers. Each Kyle Kuzma and Beal talked about Porzingis’s passing skill as an added bonus.
“It’s one factor to play in opposition to someone and put together for them, however to see them day-after-day and watch how they transfer in your facet of the ball, it’s been a pleasing shock,” Kuzma mentioned.
Porzingis was competing with the Latvian nationwide workforce when the Wizards held a minicamp in Los Angeles towards the top of the summer season. He and Deni Avdija, who was competing with the Israeli nationwide workforce, had been the one two gamers lacking — 14 others, together with the six new faces Washington welcomed this offseason — volunteered to take part within the team-bonding occasion.
“Each evening we had guys doing one thing collectively as a workforce. That’s a very powerful factor,” mentioned Kuzma, a former Laker. “Me taking part in on a championship workforce, I simply keep in mind everyone being cool, everyone being collectively in any respect varieties of occasions, although day and evening.”
If he felt he missed out, Porzingis didn’t point out it Friday. His aim for the season is to exceed expectations each for the Wizards and himself.
He landed at No. 86 in ESPN’s sequence of the highest 100 gamers within the league forward of the season, and it rankled him. The Wizards are anticipated to be within the realm of a play-in event workforce once more — relying on how Beal and Porzingis mesh.
“Particularly this yr, I’m coming in with a chip on my shoulder due to the ESPN rank, the this, that, it’s type of — okay,” Porzingis mentioned. “I take advantage of it as gasoline, as vitality. I’m wanting ahead to reminding everyone what I can do on each ends of the ground.”