Mavericks: Where did Kristaps Porzingis rank in ESPN top 100?

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis to be the team’s second star, their Robin to Luka Doncic’s Batman if you will. The Unicorn has shown flashes of being that player, but injuries and inconsistency have fans wondering if he can ever reach those heights. KP was relegated to an ancillary role last postseason as he spotted up in the corner and struggled to protect the rim in the Mavs’ first-round loss to the LA Clippers.

Porzingis had the first healthy offseason of his NBA career this summer. What will that mean for his on-court production this season? New head coach Jason Kidd plans to get the Unicorn more involved and believes he can unlock KP’s All-Star form. Fans can dream about what version will be on the court this season, but we will not know until the games begin.

ESPN is releasing their ranking of the top 100 NBA players this week as fans saw Tim Hardaway Jr. go from unranked a year ago up to 79th. Kristaps Porzingis landed in the 26 to 50 release on Sept. 22. Let us take a closer look at where and a troubling trend for the Unicorn.

Where did Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis land in ESPN’s ranks?

ESPN rated KP as the 50th best player for this season, which continued a steady decline since he joined the Mavericks. Porzingis ranked 34th heading into his first season in Dallas before slipping to 41st in the 2020 ranks. The steady decline continues with KP just barely clinging his way onto top 50 status.

Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated ranked Porzingis 58th, which was too low. Given Zinger’s struggles on the defensive end last season it is hard to place him much higher than 50 heading into this year. Nobody knows how his role will change this season either.

Kristaps Porzingis is one of the many players to watch closely during training camp. The 26-year-old still has plenty of untapped potential, but he needs to stay healthy to realize it. Can new head coach Jason Kidd find the perfect role and help manage KP so he stays on the court? It is one of the key questions of the season for the Dallas Mavericks that fans will have to stay tuned to find out.