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Would you like to see photos of Kristaps Porzingis working out? If your answer is "no" then GET THE HELL OFF THIS WEBSITE!!!!
Now that we've gotten rid of those weirdos, let's get down to business! Ian Begley traveled to the merry old land of Latvia and shot some wonderful footage of Kristaps at work on his own personal courts. Clearly, the kid has taken branding lessons from teammate Carmelo Anthony. #StayMe70.
The court Kristaps Porzingis has been training on, which includes his logo: https://t.co/QVi0OdjMpl pic.twitter.com/XTiBx5sb6f
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Sign of the times for Kristaps Porzingis: his logo on the side of a bus in Liepaja https://t.co/yLCe278xsC pic.twitter.com/8kSr2pCD0X
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Kristaps Porzingis knocks down a half-court shot at the outdoor court he and his family built recently in Liepaja. pic.twitter.com/KljM2WrTOB
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Kristaps isn't working out alone. Fellow Knicks big man Kyle O'Quinn has joined him, as has assistant coach Josh Longstaff.
Kristaps Porzingis is showing Kyle O'Quinn a good time in his hometown of Liepaja https://t.co/iel2AlwP1M pic.twitter.com/rX1m0A9kYA
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Link to video of Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle O'Quinn working on baseline drives: https://t.co/bAMtqNqNCZ pic.twitter.com/DWAm99J9LW
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Kristaps Porzingis and Knicks assistant Josh Longstaff working on a pick and pop. https://t.co/eGqhRdllgv pic.twitter.com/4w8fX5v8EU
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Kristaps Porzingis and Knicks assistant Josh Longstaff working on a pick and pop at Porzingis' youth camp in Latvia. pic.twitter.com/uw5TZdJWhJ
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
You'd have to figure this bodes well for Longstaff's future with new head coach Jeff Hornacek. He and fellow assistant Brian Keefe are holdovers from from Derek Fisher's tenure -- Fish met them while they were assistants for the Thunder -- but they are both hard-working, well-respected coaches. I seriously doubt Phil Jackson would be letting Longstaff work with the future of the franchise if he were ready to shit-can him. Then again, maybe Hornacek has other plans. Who knows?
Let's also hope we can take this as a signal that O'Quinn is serious about his offseason conditioning. Last season was a bust, but he's still on the roster, and the backup center position is still open.
One thing is certain: We'll never have to worry about Kristaps slacking off:
Kristaps Porzingis has worked on strengthening his lower half this offseason, which should help him keep post position, among other things.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Kristaps Porzingis & his brother Janis have worked out 6 days a week for 4 hours a day... https://t.co/7cpXJMYGC8 pic.twitter.com/oWI2BM30gb
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 13, 2016
Begley notes that they've also been working on improving his first step. Kristaps is 20 years old and he already has the work ethic of a Kobe Bryant. Kid is going to destroy the NBA.