Mavericks: 5 players for Kristaps Porzingis to study during the hiatus

1. Dirk Nowitzki

Kristaps Porzingis has mentioned on several occasions that he looked up to Dirk Nowitzki growing up. The two discussed it during a Basketball Without Borders trip to Africa in 2017. Fans can enjoy the conversation below.

The list of things Porzingis can take from Nowitzki is lengthy. Both men are seven-footers that can space the floor. KP needs to take some of Dirk’s craftiness. Nowitzki patented the one-legged fadeaway. Porzingis could do something similar to take his game to another level.

Nowitzki was also a better playmaker and scorer than Porzingis is now. There are a plethora of subtle things that could help the 24-year-old grow on the offensive end of the floor.

Porzingis could study leadership and the flare for the dramatic from Dirk too. Nowitzki had a lot of monster performances in massive games. He led the Mavericks to a championship in 2011. Those are little things that can take KP to another level.

Dirk said in a recent interview that he plans to be around the Mavericks more once the suspension is lifted. Porzingis may have plenty of opportunities to pick his brain and learn from the Mavericks GOAT. Expect the Unicorn to take full advantage of that.