Kristaps Porzingis and struggle of rim protection Share this story Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports Perhaps the most important question regarding the future of the Dallas Mavericks: can Kristaps Porzingis return to being an elite defensive player? That will depend on if Porzingis has lost the physical ability to be a good defender. Porzingis is a massive human being. He also is, or was, a gifted athlete for someone of his size. Players of similar height or length generally have athletic shortcomings. The only people listed at least 7-foot-3 in NBA history who come close to matching Porzingis athletically are Ralph Sampson and potentially a Pre-NBA Arvydas Sabonis.