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here have been taller players (but not many) than 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis, but few (if any) can claim the same skill set as the Latvian forward, hence the Unicorn nickname. A virtual unknown when the Knicks selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Porzingis immediately became a household name, averaging 14.3 ppg, 7.3 apg and 1.9 bpg as a 20-year-old rookie in the Big Apple. Since then, Porzingis has only improved his scoring output—18.1 ppg in his sophomore year to his current 23.3 output, earning him his first All-Star berth. Porzingis’ height allows him to shoot practically over any defender around the basket, but what makes him the rare specimen is his ability to stretch them out to the three-point line and put the ball on the floor. At just 22, Porzingis’ game is still ascending, a scary thought for opponents for the next decade, but very good for the All-Star Game, where he should be a fixture for years to come.
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS* Position: Forward-Center Height: 7-3 Weight: 240 Birthdate: 8-2-95 Country: Latvia Year in NBA: 3rd All-Star: 1st
108 | NBA All-Star 2018
NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES
* Injured, will not be playing