By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
For the second straight summer, Kristaps Porzingis may not play for the Latvian national team. The New York Knicks don’t believe that playing in the pre-Olympic tournament will help the rookie center and coach Kurt Rambis didn’t hide his opinion.
As he said to the Washington Post: “When I’m talking about playing, I’m talking about here. Players growing up today, they play too much. A lot of summer can be used to develop strengths and work on aspects of your game. When you play you’re going back to your strengths and instincts. Sometimes playing can be bad and not conducive to player development. If I had my choice, it’s obvious what I want. But I understand commitment to country. From a selfish standpoint, looking at from a purely Knicks standpoint, we want him working with us”.
“It’s still up in the air,’’ Porzingis said. “Once the season is over, I’ll have time to make a decision. It’s important for Latvia. I’m a proud Latvian. I want to represent my country. I got to really think about it and make a decision”.