Kristaps Porzingis worked on some new tricks this summer, still plans to put-back dunk in your face

The man who announced Kristaps Porzingis at Media Day joked he was saving the best for last. Kristaps is the best, though, so it was fitting.

And the Unicorn tantalized the audience with the promise of some sweet new moves he’s been working on during the summer in his Media Day press conference:

“My ballhandling is better now. I just feel comfortable with the ball now. So you’re going to see some new stuff this season. You’re going to see some new stuff and hopefully some more put-back dunks.”

Like any great performer, Kristaps will be unveiling new material while still making sure to play his greatest hits.

How did Kristaps improve his ball-handling? By playing pick-up games with dudes all wearing similar shirts. He couldn’t immediately distinguish teammate from opponent after pulling down a defensive board, so he simply took the ball upcourt himself.

There you have it, folks: the birth of Pointzingis. Long may he reign!

For those of you who were surprised Kristaps didn’t sculpt his guns in the offseason, he clarified that he spent the summer working on his lower body:

“Last offseason, we made a little mistake that all I did was work upper body and try to get bigger. This offseason, I really focused on my lower strength, my legs, core, make sure that it’s strong. And that’s going to give me strength to be able to hold my ground defensively and offensively as well. And my legs have gotten much stronger. And I’m able to, when I’m driving, I’m able to stay lower. Defensively I can be lower and quick on my feet.”

That should be interesting. Kristaps was often stripped on drives to the rim, a problem that one might attribute to a weak upper body. But Kristaps believes the key is the stay lower through contact. As for the defensive end, kid was already protecting the rim like a 50-foot death squid. Lord help those who try to take it to the rack against Kristaps and his new base of solid Latvian granite.