The Porzingis debates continue, this time about how tall he is

Kristaps Porzingis is a player who inspires many debates. The arguments include what nickname best suits him - Godzingis and Three-Six Latvia are gaining traction after he said he was not a fan of Zinger - and his potential as a player. But one thing worth pondering is his height. Before this year's NBA draft, reports indicated that Porzingis was at least 6 feet 11 inches, though scouts said he was much taller. When he showed up for the draft, he towered over the 7-footers Frank Kaminsky and Willie CauleyStein, so people began to make their own estimates.

Because Porzingis clearly fits under a regulation NBA rim, it can be said with certainty that he is between 7 and 10 feet.

Porzingis has been compared to Dirk Nowitzki, another 7-footer with a delicate long-range shooting touch. Porzingis's height, which the Knicks list as 7ft-3in, was seen as something that could provide him an advantage in an era obsessed with the 3-pointer because he would be able to create his own shot by simply towering over defenders. And on Saturday night, when he scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and swat ted away seven shots in a victory over the Houston Rockets, he confirmed that his game was suited to the modern NBA.

Knicks Coach Derek Fisher said it was that combination of skills that had attracted Phil Jackson, the team's president, to the 20-year-old Porzingis, who was booed on draft night but who's became a fan favourite.

"Everybody, of course, was fascinated by the shotmaking," Fisher told reporters. "But we thought the activity on the defensive end was one thing that would really give him a chance to be good." It was not the first time Porzingis had a big game rebounding, but the blocked shots were by far his career high, and they stand out in Knicks history.