For Kristaps Porzingis, the learning doesn’t stop at the buzzer.
In his locker Sunday afternoon sat a copy of “The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance’’ by George Mumford.
“They gave it to me, I’m going to start reading it today,’’ Porzingis said after the Knicks’ 95-87 win over the Pelicans at the Garden, a game in which the Knicks did not fall apart down the stretch as they won their second home game of the season.
This was a day Pelicans star Anthony Davis offered some valuable lessons to Porzingis; a day much was learned considering the Knicks rookie shot 4-for-15 from the field, 1-for-4 from 3-point land and finished with only 10 points and four rebounds while Davis was game-high scorer with 36 points, had four blocked shots and added 11 rebounds.
A sweeping move across the lane for a jump hook in the second quarter that was blocked by Davis was the real eye-opener for Porzingis.
The big man said he was shocked by the play.
“I’m not used to athletes like him, who are really athletic and long like me,’’ Porzingis said. “I think he is the best point power forward right now in the NBA. It was tough for sure, but it was a good experience for me.’’
This is all great news for the Knicks and their fans.
Porzingis is not afraid to admit he doesn’t know it all, doesn’t have the answers, has much to learn and is willing to learn.
Mumford is someone Phil Jackson has believed in for a long time with his players (including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant) and even wrote this testimonial for the book: “George has ‘Mumfied’ the teams I’ve coached over the past 20 years. He has a style of mindfulness that goes beyond ‘just sitting/breathing’ to focusing while in action. For anyone needing to perform at the highest level, this book is for you.’’
Porzingis is all in — on the court and in Phil’s classroom.
“I learned today that if you don’t shoot the ball well, you can’t be outside the game,’’ Porzingis said. “You gotta still be in the game. I kept trying to do the little stuff.’’
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry knows what it takes to get better in the NBA, and this was his postgame scouting report on Porzingis:
“I believe he is going to be a heck of a player in this league. He’s a young, gangly guy just like everybody else who comes along like that, but I think he is a very skilled guy. The thing I like best about him is that he doesn’t seem to be afraid. He doesn’t shy away from the contact. He’s got a good skill level. You have to give him an opportunity to let his body mature.’’
Porzingis doesn’t have the core strength yet to push his way around down low.
“Everybody just moves him right out,’’ Gentry said. “We know a lot of guys that happened to early. There was a guy in Dallas named Dirk Nowitzki. He turned out OK.’’
For his part, Davis offered this: “Porzingis is a great player. He can shoot, he can drive and he is active. It is going to be fun battling him.’’
Here is another Porzingis lesson for the day, offered by Derek Fisher:
“How good it feels to win when your particular stat line isn’t what you prefer,’’ the coach said. “To me that’s the best teacher in the world for young players. It’s easy to get one of these final boxes and look at your stat line and see that you went 8-for-11 and the team lost and then you go 2-for-11 and the team wins, how do you really feel about that?
“It’s not about winning your one-on-one matchup. I thought about that a few nights ago where Allen Iverson averaged against the Lakers in the 2001 Finals. I definitely lost that matchup individually, but the team won the series.’’
Iverson averaged 35.6 points. Fisher and his Lakers won in five games.
Every day, even the tough days, be mindful of progress.