By Grant Hill
Willy Hernangómez is an unheralded rising star for the Knicks. (Courtesy of Wikimedia)
Amid the outpour of boos and crying children that followed the selection of Kristaps Porzingis in the 2015 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks made another acquisition during that draft which seemingly got overlooked at the time. After the Philadelphia 76ers selected Guillermo “Willy” Hernangómez with the 35th overall pick, his rights were later traded to the New York Knicks on draft night, in exchange for two future second round draft choices and cash considerations.
Fastforward to the 2016-17 NBA season, and it is beginning to look like Porzingis isn’t the only keeper the Knicks got out of the 2015 Draft.
On Oct 25, 2016, the center hailing from Spain made his debut for the Knicks in their season opener, scoring four points in nine minutes off the bench in a 117–88 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last week, Hernangómez made his first career start with Porzingis out of the lineup, as he tallied 15 points and 14 rebounds in a 117-101 loss to the Washington Wizards. As the season has progressed, Hernangómez has begun to emerge as a shining light in what has otherwise been another desolate year for the Knicks.
There is no question that Hernangómez deserves a spot within the league. He is currently second among rookies in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) with a PER of 18.35, which is right behind 76ers center Joel Embiid. He rebounds better than Embiid, leading all rookies by securing 18.0 RP48 (rebounds per 48 minutes) while Embiid is second with 14.8. In the last nine games of which Hernangómez has played 10 or more minutes, he is averaging just over 11 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting just above 50 percent from the field. Although he does not have the upside that players like Porzingis and Embiid have, he’s become quite an impressive player who is improving with every opportunity he is given.
As it is currently situated, the Knicks roster has an abundance of big men. Between Willy Hernangómez, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle O’Quinn and Joakim Noah, it is becoming harder and harder for coach Jeff Hornacek to divvy up the minutes between four players who should see some, if not most, of their playing time at the center position. Though Porzingis should see some time at center, he has mainly been the starting power forward. That has left the main competition for center minutes between Noah, Hernangómez and O’Quinn. So far, Hernangómez has outperformed the other two, especially on the offensive end. He is a versatile and crafty offensive player, getting buckets off of pick and rolls, running the floor and crashing the glass. He also brings an energetic attitude both on and off the court, which is an intangible every team likes to see in a player.
Though Joakim Noah has primarily been the Knicks starting center throughout the season, it has become clear to everyone that his skills have vastly diminished. Not only is he not living up to his $72 million contract, but there is also no justification as to why he should still be the teams starting center. The lack of productivity from Noah has made many people believe that it is time for Hornacek and the Knicks to give Hernangómez more minutes, and possibly even the starting center job.
As teammates both in Spain and for the New York Knicks, Hernangómez and Porzingis have forged a very good relationship. Playing them together allows for the team to see the potential starting front court tandem for the future. With their season falling apart, and his impressive play on the court, the Knicks could do no wrong by giving Hernangómez a bigger role on the team.
