Pressure makes diamonds.
In this case, pressure could quite literally make Kristaps Porzingis more than a few diamonds (if that's how he elects to spend his well-earned salary) - the Unicorn is due for a lofty payday. As nice as that sounds, though, Porzingis has to prove himself, and in more ways than one.
First, KP must prove he can slot into the fast-paced, high-energy Hawks lineup. Having played a more slow-tempo style of basketball during the last pair of seasons in Boston (where KP actually managed to significantly increase the team's pace in his time on the court), the multi-million-dollar question for the Latvian sensation is whether or not he can adapt to this sudden shift.
Perhaps more importantly, Porzingis must prove he can stay on the court. Throughout his entire career, this has been the ever-painful thorn in the big man's side - having failed to log over 57 games more than once since the age of 21, the games spent on the bench have withered KP's impact on winning second to absolutely nothing.
With these challenges in mind, fans ought to reference the last time Porzingis faced this pressure before they ask themselves how he'll stack up to the same challenge this year.
Can Porzingis replicate the transcendent play he showed off during his last contract year?
Porzingis is certainly no stranger to the pressure of contract year play - his 2022-2023 season demonstrates his prowess under exceedingly great scrutiny.
Coming off his debut mini-season in Washington after shockingly being traded from Dallas, Porzingis had been labeled as a lumbering floor-spacer with little to no positional versatility. Washington saw an opportunity to buy low - and were immediately rewarded.
Porzingis proved his worth in Washington by demonstrating Dallas had pigeonholed him into a limited role throughout his tenure in Texas. Gone were the days of purely operating at the top of the key, dancing off of the isolation of Luka. Porzingis became the beating heart of a surprisingly competitive Wizards lineup that starkly outperformed expectations.
Through all this success, Porzingis earned a noteworthy contract extension from the Boston Celtics worth $60 million across two seasons - the same deal that is nearing its expiration this season.
With the same pressure being tossed back onto his battle-proven shoulders, how will Porzingis respond this season? History would suggest that the Unicorn will rise to meet the challenge, and record his most successful season to date in order to secure a safe long-term deal - after all, how many contracts remain for Porzingis?
While some players tend to opt for short-term deals to bank on their success in the future, odds are that the injury-prone (albeit, elite) KP is seeking a more extensive contract agreement this coming offseason. Should he prove both his talent and his health this year, Onsi Saleh would be hard-pressed to deny Porzingis what he's owed.