Knicks · Does KP have the mentality of a superstar? (page 1)

I was randomly thinking about KP today and was amazed at how rare it is to have a player with the combination of skills that KP has. Before the season began I laughed at the pundits who thought that KP would be completely useless for 3 years. I thought that KP would at least be able contribute immediately with his ability to hit the open shot off double teams on Melo. After his stint in the summer league I amended my thinking to include shot altering due to his freakish size and length.

KP has all the skills and physical tools to become a superstar in the NBA. The only things he is currently missing is strength and the ability to sense and understand how to attack double teams. These current deficiencies will be fixed with time and experience. This caused me to think about the next thing needed to become a superstar. A players mentality is as important to becoming a superstar as their skill and abilities.

At the 1st glance KP has the mentality of a superstar as-well. His work ethic is something you constantly hear about from other players. He has a burning desire to be great and he is always saying the right things to the media. The one thing I think KP is missing is his on court aggression and willingness to step on toes to get the win. KP has shown a willingness to let other players push him around even though it is obvious they are purposely targeting him. An example of this is how Jason Smith was roughing up KP during the game against the Magic. KP is also a little too willing to sit in the background and allow other players to takeover at points in every game.

It is become obvious that KP has quickly become the most important player on the Knicks. Due to this fact, it worried me that even on a night that Melo did not play KP was still a little too willing to sit in the background and let other player take over late. It seems like KP is just not willing to step on his teammates toes in order to get the win. Kobe, Jordan, Russell Westbrook and other superstars are not afraid to anger teammates a little if the result is to win more games. KP is constantly being missed for easy opportunities and says nothing to his teammates about it. Despite his good stats he also disappears at times in games because the team goes away from him. This on court mentality is usually what separates good players from great players and great players from superstars.

Am I over analyzing? or do I actually have a point?

I think one of his strengths is his mentality. I think he wants to dominant and wants the challenges. His mental game is right there with his skills.

It's called paying your dues. He has the mentality, but at the same time he knows when it'll be his time.

He's waiting for the unofficial torch to be passed (which will be much sooner than later it appears), and is doing the right thing as far carrying the vet bags, saying it's Melo's team, buying them donuts etc...he's not trying to step on toes at the age of 20.

Next season will be a different story.

I really like the way he is approaching it. No need to be the diva out of the gate. He is letting things unfold properly.

I've said this before in some form or another...The Euro League approach to player development seems to be one that stresses team performance over individual achievement.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think it holds true, in general. There is a reason why Hezonja got limited minutes at times, and seemed to have issues with his coaches, while KP, by all accounts, was like by coaches and teammates alike because he was willing to play team ball.

I think there will come a point where KP is recognized as the best player on the team and the guy you want to see assert himself on the court in key moments, and eventually KP will embrace this, but I feel it is something that will happen over time, and cannot be force fed to him.

It did look like there were times in the Houston game where he established himself down low and might have been annoyed that he was not recognized. He gets down the court quickly, sometimes, and is not seen when he is free, for some reason.

You don't want him facing up on the perimeter doing cross-overs to get free...at this point he depends a lot on being seen by his teammates when he's in an advantageous situation to receive the ball.

Best thing now is to run plays for him where he comes off a screen set by someone else and gets passed to, or they work a pick and pop with him. They also have to make sure that they exploit the size mismatches when they happen...something we seem slow to recognize.

The fact that he appears to have a desire to improve and get better is critical in becoming a superstar. A rare trait in the modern league where players who could be great are plagued by laziness and being satisfied with their contract/stature and calling it a day. If he continues to work on his game and his conditioning he is going to be a force.

I think KP not only wants to be a superstar but has the right mental makeup. He accepts challenges and comes right back at his opponent, but not in a wild way. He will defend better, hustle for a rebound and of course score after being scored on or embarrassed in some way. KP is just going thru the progression of a very young rookie. His teammates don't yet see him as a superstar, which makes some sense given his age and inexperience. However, they will soon start looking for him more and more.

IMO they already need to start getting KP more looks off curls, PnR and down screens where he is in catch and shoot situations. He can shoot in rhythm and get a good feel. Then they can mix in the post ups etc. You can see that KP is growing more confident in his post game even tho he's still a bit light and sometimes gets knocked off his base. IMO once KP matures he's gonna dominate.

Clean wrote:
At the 1st glance KP has the mentality of a superstar as-well. His work ethic is something you constantly hear about from other players. He has a burning desire to be great and he is always saying the right things to the media. The one thing I think KP is missing is his on court aggression and willingness to step on toes to get the win.

KP has shown a willingness to let other players push him around even though it is obvious they are purposely targeting him. An example of this is how Jason Smith was roughing up KP during the game against the Magic.

KP is also a little too willing to sit in the background and allow other players to takeover at points in every game.

Am I over analyzing? or do I actually have a point?

Smith should have gotten a T. Watch the play...Smith did what he did because KP was mixing it up with him in the post.

What happened the next play when the Knicks were on D, though (pretty sure it was the next play), Porzingis had the big block on Oladipo...did not see him shy away from a potential posterizing dunk.

I've seen him mix it up in the post...have also seen opponents try to push and intimidate him.

The stats and my eyes are telling me that whatever is being done to him by opponents...is not working too well.

WaltLongmire wrote:

Clean wrote:
At the 1st glance KP has the mentality of a superstar as-well. His work ethic is something you constantly hear about from other players. He has a burning desire to be great and he is always saying the right things to the media. The one thing I think KP is missing is his on court aggression and willingness to step on toes to get the win.

KP has shown a willingness to let other players push him around even though it is obvious they are purposely targeting him. An example of this is how Jason Smith was roughing up KP during the game against the Magic.

KP is also a little too willing to sit in the background and allow other players to takeover at points in every game.

Am I over analyzing? or do I actually have a point?

Smith should have gotten a T. Watch the play...Smith did what he did because KP was mixing it up with him in the post.

What happened the next play when the Knicks were on D, though (pretty sure it was the next play), Porzingis had the big block on Oladipo...did not see him shy away from a potential posterizing dunk.

I've seen him mix it up in the post...have also seen opponents try to push and intimidate him.

The stats and my eyes are telling me that whatever is being done to him by opponents...is not working too well.

I'm with Walt. KP gotta fill out and it's the only reason he isn't physically dominating more than he could be and I wouldn't confuse that with not having a superstar mentality.

The dude wanted to go head to head with Anthony Davis. As soon as game is finished he wants to know when he plays Dwight again. He wants and takes shots at the last minute, even if play is run for Melo. He dunks over Aldridge and screams. He bowls over the whole Toronto team and smiles afterwards.

Most of all, he heard boos on draft day and didn't back down. He has the media eating out of his hands.

I am super pumped about him coming out of the gate after next offseason. League watch out!

martin wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

Clean wrote:
At the 1st glance KP has the mentality of a superstar as-well. His work ethic is something you constantly hear about from other players. He has a burning desire to be great and he is always saying the right things to the media. The one thing I think KP is missing is his on court aggression and willingness to step on toes to get the win.

KP has shown a willingness to let other players push him around even though it is obvious they are purposely targeting him. An example of this is how Jason Smith was roughing up KP during the game against the Magic.

KP is also a little too willing to sit in the background and allow other players to takeover at points in every game.

Am I over analyzing? or do I actually have a point?

Smith should have gotten a T. Watch the play...Smith did what he did because KP was mixing it up with him in the post.

What happened the next play when the Knicks were on D, though (pretty sure it was the next play), Porzingis had the big block on Oladipo...did not see him shy away from a potential posterizing dunk.

I've seen him mix it up in the post...have also seen opponents try to push and intimidate him.

The stats and my eyes are telling me that whatever is being done to him by opponents...is not working too well.

I'm with Walt. KP gotta fill out and it's the only reason he isn't physically dominating more than he could be and I wouldn't confuse that with not having a superstar mentality.

The dude wanted to go head to head with Anthony Davis. As soon as game is finished he wants to know when he plays Dwight again. He wants and takes shots at the last minute, even if play is run for Melo. He dunks over Aldridge and screams. He bowls over the whole Toronto team and smiles afterwards.

Most of all, he heard boos on draft day and didn't back down. He has the media eating out of his hands.

I am super pumped about him coming out of the gate after next offseason. League watch out!

this. Kid is simply doing and saying everything right. Even Melo has said it will be KP's team long after he's gone and just hopes they can raise a banner while he still a Knick... this coming from the Idontsharewithanyone alpha dog.

The other thing about KP is after this year it will be easier to identify what we need to surround him with.

His strong mentality is what excites as much as his overall game. Kid showing the right head to be a star in due time, 18 games in and already just a consistent jumpshot away from becoming one

Kid is an alpha and his coach is doing a great job with him. He is being mentored by Phil.

Coach and mentor in a culture that promotes his growth. This is good.
Focus on this than the Tyson/Felton trade.

WaltLongmire wrote:I've said this before in some form or another...The Euro League approach to player development seems to be one that stresses team performance over individual achievement.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think it holds true, in general. There is a reason why Hezonja got limited minutes at times, and seemed to have issues with his coaches, while KP, by all accounts, was like by coaches and teammates alike because he was willing to play team ball.

I think there will come a point where KP is recognized as the best player on the team and the guy you want to see assert himself on the court in key moments, and eventually KP will embrace this, but I feel it is something that will happen over time, and cannot be force fed to him.

It did look like there were times in the Houston game where he established himself down low and might have been annoyed that he was not recognized. He gets down the court quickly, sometimes, and is not seen when he is free, for some reason.

You don't want him facing up on the perimeter doing cross-overs to get free...at this point he depends a lot on being seen by his teammates when he's in an advantageous situation to receive the ball.

Best thing now is to run plays for him where he comes off a screen set by someone else and gets passed to, or they work a pick and pop with him. They also have to make sure that they exploit the size mismatches when they happen...something we seem slow to recognize.

He's nutty and did not offer long term stabilty but Rondo would have created and helped KP, Melo, Affalo and others get their shots

WaltLongmire wrote:I've said this before in some form or another...The Euro League approach to player development seems to be one that stresses team performance over individual achievement.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think it holds true, in general. There is a reason why Hezonja got limited minutes at times, and seemed to have issues with his coaches, while KP, by all accounts, was like by coaches and teammates alike because he was willing to play team ball.

I think there will come a point where KP is recognized as the best player on the team and the guy you want to see assert himself on the court in key moments, and eventually KP will embrace this, but I feel it is something that will happen over time, and cannot be force fed to him.

It did look like there were times in the Houston game where he established himself down low and might have been annoyed that he was not recognized. He gets down the court quickly, sometimes, and is not seen when he is free, for some reason.

You don't want him facing up on the perimeter doing cross-overs to get free...at this point he depends a lot on being seen by his teammates when he's in an advantageous situation to receive the ball.

Best thing now is to run plays for him where he comes off a screen set by someone else and gets passed to, or they work a pick and pop with him. They also have to make sure that they exploit the size mismatches when they happen...something we seem slow to recognize.

Spot on with your points, informative as always

WaltLongmire wrote:I've said this before in some form or another...The Euro League approach to player development seems to be one that stresses team performance over individual achievement.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think it holds true, in general. There is a reason why Hezonja got limited minutes at times, and seemed to have issues with his coaches, while KP, by all accounts, was like by coaches and teammates alike because he was willing to play team ball.

I think there will come a point where KP is recognized as the best player on the team and the guy you want to see assert himself on the court in key moments, and eventually KP will embrace this, but I feel it is something that will happen over time, and cannot be force fed to him.

It did look like there were times in the Houston game where he established himself down low and might have been annoyed that he was not recognized. He gets down the court quickly, sometimes, and is not seen when he is free, for some reason.

You don't want him facing up on the perimeter doing cross-overs to get free...at this point he depends a lot on being seen by his teammates when he's in an advantageous situation to receive the ball.

Best thing now is to run plays for him where he comes off a screen set by someone else and gets passed to, or they work a pick and pop with him. They also have to make sure that they exploit the size mismatches when they happen...something we seem slow to recognize.

good post as usual.

Just to add about taking advantage of the mismatches. Sometimes we miss it but often our guards just can't get passed the hounding defender to be in a position to at least make the entry pass so that we can take advantage of the mismatch.

meloanyk wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:I've said this before in some form or another...The Euro League approach to player development seems to be one that stresses team performance over individual achievement.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think it holds true, in general. There is a reason why Hezonja got limited minutes at times, and seemed to have issues with his coaches, while KP, by all accounts, was like by coaches and teammates alike because he was willing to play team ball.

I think there will come a point where KP is recognized as the best player on the team and the guy you want to see assert himself on the court in key moments, and eventually KP will embrace this, but I feel it is something that will happen over time, and cannot be force fed to him.

It did look like there were times in the Houston game where he established himself down low and might have been annoyed that he was not recognized. He gets down the court quickly, sometimes, and is not seen when he is free, for some reason.

You don't want him facing up on the perimeter doing cross-overs to get free...at this point he depends a lot on being seen by his teammates when he's in an advantageous situation to receive the ball.

Best thing now is to run plays for him where he comes off a screen set by someone else and gets passed to, or they work a pick and pop with him. They also have to make sure that they exploit the size mismatches when they happen...something we seem slow to recognize.

He's nutty and did not offer long term stabilty but Rondo would have created and helped KP, Melo, Affalo and others get their shots

Rondo together with Melo and KP sounds like a recipe for a disaster movie. Everyone dies.

meloanyk wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:I've said this before in some form or another...The Euro League approach to player development seems to be one that stresses team performance over individual achievement.

Of course there are exceptions, but I think it holds true, in general. There is a reason why Hezonja got limited minutes at times, and seemed to have issues with his coaches, while KP, by all accounts, was like by coaches and teammates alike because he was willing to play team ball.

I think there will come a point where KP is recognized as the best player on the team and the guy you want to see assert himself on the court in key moments, and eventually KP will embrace this, but I feel it is something that will happen over time, and cannot be force fed to him.

It did look like there were times in the Houston game where he established himself down low and might have been annoyed that he was not recognized. He gets down the court quickly, sometimes, and is not seen when he is free, for some reason.

You don't want him facing up on the perimeter doing cross-overs to get free...at this point he depends a lot on being seen by his teammates when he's in an advantageous situation to receive the ball.

Best thing now is to run plays for him where he comes off a screen set by someone else and gets passed to, or they work a pick and pop with him. They also have to make sure that they exploit the size mismatches when they happen...something we seem slow to recognize.

He's nutty and did not offer long term stabilty but Rondo would have created and helped KP, Melo, Affalo and others get their shots

Rondo can be a big man's friend...no doubt about that.

KP has had varied success in the post, so far. Wonder if this is why they don't go to him as much when he's established position.

For most of overtime, Rockets had Ariza guarding KP and we didn't look to exploit a post up with KP once during this span. Granted Afflobe was balling.

newyorknewyork wrote:For most of overtime, Rockets had Ariza guarding KP and we didn't look to exploit a post up with KP once during this span. Granted Afflobe was balling.

He did try to exploit ariza but we could not get him the ball due to the guard pressure.

mreinman wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:For most of overtime, Rockets had Ariza guarding KP and we didn't look to exploit a post up with KP once during this span. Granted Afflobe was balling.

He did try to exploit ariza but we could not get him the ball due to the guard pressure.

We were able to get the ball to Afflobe though with the same ball pressure.

And I wasn't really speaking on Fisher more towards the players on the court.

You cited Kobe, Jordan, and Westbrook, but don't forget about superstars like Tim Duncan. Classic example of leading through actions and not aggression.