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Talk about a pile of salt added to the Knicks’ wounds if Derek Harper’s Kristaps Porzingis guarantee comes true. Harper, who manned the Knicks’ point-guard spot from 1994 to 1996, is a longtime TV analyst for the Mavericks. He never won a title playing for Dallas or the Knicks, but Harper believes he will add …
Talk about a pile of salt added to the Knicks’ wounds if Derek Harper’s Kristaps Porzingis guarantee comes true.
Harper, who manned the Knicks’ point-guard spot from 1994 to 1996, is a longtime TV analyst for the Mavericks. He never won a title playing for Dallas or the Knicks, but Harper believes he will add another championship ring as a Mavs broadcaster to his 2012 jewel now that Porzingis’ star has aligned with Luka Doncic’s.
“Those two stars together, the future, despite all this craziness now, the two of them together, they can coexist,” Harper told The Post in a phone interview. “That’s always a question. Can Magic play with Kareem? Can Bird play with McHale? So on. Those two guys are going to make Dallas a championship team. No question in my mind. Between the two of them, the Mavericks are going to win a championship – or two.”
Claiming the 7-3 Latvian didn’t want to be in New York, former Knicks president Steve Mills traded Porzingis to Mark Cuban’s Mavericks on Jan. 31, 2019 for cap space and point guard Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith experienced a disastrous 2019-20 campaign in his first full season with the Knicks before the NBA’s March 11 shutdown. Porzingis had ups and downs, but showed his All-Star potential.
“He’s one of the more talented people in the league,” Harper said of Porzingis. “Kevin Durant gave him the name ‘Unicorn’ for a reason. The guy’s special.”
Porzingis averaged 19.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks before the shutdown. The fourth pick in the 2015 draft shot just 42 percent but a respectable 35 percent from 3. And Dallas’ record stands at 40-27.
“Throughout the year, I knew what Luka is – a sensation,” Harper said. “He’s in the same class as Oscar (Robertson) and LeBron. You just don’t bump into 26 points, eight assists, nine rebounds. That’s just sheer talent and greatness. So I knew Luka has all of it. But I didn’t think the Mavericks would be worth s–t until KP started to play well. When Luka got hurt, KP started to play well. He has that ‘it’ (factor), too.”
Porzingis’ ACL tear on Feb. 6, 2018 cost him the rest of that campaign and the entire 2018-19 season. But it hasn’t cost Porzingis his immense “stretch 4″ talents, Harper observed.
“He’s a very talented shooter, can put the ball on the deck,” Harper said. “He can score in so many different ways. I don’t think he’s scratched the surface on what he can be as a player. I think he’s going to be a top-notch guy and a good guy. I know there’s been different stuff out there about him. But I really like the kid.”
Knicks brass was more concerned about the negative attitude of Porzingis’ brother/agent, Janis, than Porzingis himself. But the Knicks couldn’t get a verbal long-term commitment from Porzingis at the 2019 trade deadline.
“It’s his prerogative but the dude can play,” Harper said. “He’s better than advertised. He doesn’t get the hype yet but he was on his way before the knee injury.”
The Knicks struck out on landing a star free agent with their resultant 2019 cap space while Smith regressed this season, dealing with a reduction in playing time and an assortment of injuries.
“He’s a kid I root for because I like the kid,” Harper said of Smith. “You got to get better in the NBA. He always tried to get better during the offseason. He improved his passing, improved his ability to rebound. When you’re young and don’t improve and stay the same, it really puts you in a bad way. I didn’t know if Dennis – as much as I like him – I don’t know if he has improved the way he’s needed to as a player.”
With president Leon Rose now in charge, the Knicks are expected to attempt to move Smith during the NBA draft.
“Sometimes we think we’re better than we are,” Harper said. “The hardest position is point guard. If you don’t get better at running the team, understanding the position, understanding sometimes you got to go slower, as opposed to always being at one speed, you’re going to have a hard time. You got to know when to go, when to slow. I think if DSJ learns that, he could be a pretty good pro because he has the talent. Sometimes a guy needs a different scenery, different opportunity.”
