Kristaps Porzingis: 'I'm ready to remind people what I'm capable of' / News - Basketnews.com

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Latvian basketball superstar Kristaps Porzingis was interviewed by the Public Broadcasting of Latvia (LSM) about his lackluster season with the Dallas Mavericks, his willingness to work hard this summer, and proving that he was ready for a bigger role next year.

Kristaps Porzingis

Position:PF, CAge:25Height:221 cmWeight:109 kgBirth place:Liepaja, LatviaProfileNewsStatistics

The Dallas Mavericks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs after losing the decisive seventh game to the Los Angeles Clippers. Porzining received a lot of criticism for underperforming in the series and has been a part of multiple trade rumors. However, the Mavs came out on Thursday saying that they did not plan to trade the big man.

Porzingis admitted that he anticipated a larger role in the Playoffs: "I was put in a corner and given a task to perform, and I did it as a soldier," Porzingis explained.

"It was difficult, of course, at the beginning to take it all because I am not accustomed to my role suddenly being reduced. But once I accepted it, it wasn't hard to play. Win or lose, if you have done everything in your power, you can go home and go to sleep peacefully. I focus on what I can do better, how I can be a better basketball player and a better person."

However, he is ready to put in the work this summer and come back better for next season: "I am glad that I am in this situation, and I am ready to put in the work this summer to remind everyone that I am capable of being a better version of myself."

The 25-year-old was not on the list of Latvian national team candidates this summer. Both sides agreed that since Porzingis was completely healthy, he should invest time to improve for the next season. The 2.21 m center believes that the national team will win the qualification even without him. He expects to join Latvia in the World Cup.

Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks over 30.4 minutes in the NBA regular season. In the Playoffs, he recorded 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 blocks over 33 minutes.

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