By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis expects trash-talking to reign more supreme than ever before on the courts of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando when the NBA season officially resumes and particularly when the playoffs arrive.
It’s actually something that Porzingis is eager to see since he believes it will further enhance the intensity of the games.
“Because you can hear all the sounds from the other team and all the noise on the court, I think it’s going to be probably even more trash-talking because of that,” Porzingis said in a zoom call. “I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a more intense and fun environment to play in.”
Porzingis and the rest of the players that have participated in the preparation scrimmages have already taken a taste of what’s like to have NBA teams facing each other in an unusually quiet arena. In the absence of fans, players may want to create their own brand of atmosphere by loudly encouraging their teammates, screaming directions and advises, and generally reacting to what is going in the noisiest manner imaginable.
Bringing trash-talking to new heights shall also be a part of this picture, according to Porzingis.
“Even in the first game, playing in an environment like that where you can hear every sound, where you can hear the other team… I think it brings out even more and more fire in each player,” Porzingis said. “And that was just a scrimmage game and there was already some trash talking. [It’s going to be about] Which team can dominate the other team in all aspects, not just on the floor. Being loud, supporting your own teammates.”
Porzingis can’t wait for the launch of the seeding games and the end of this preseason-like preparation period. The return to action with the scrimmages was more than enjoyable but not all activities were that pleasant according to the Lavian player.
“We are excited. We’ve been working hard. Honestly, we’re having another preseason. It’s not fun,” Porzingis said. “Nobody loves preseason. Doing defensive slides and things like that. They aren’t our favorite thing to do but we realize it’s the right thing to do right now to prepare us to play at the highest level. We just want to go out there and show that.”
“We love the scrimmages, we love playing,” Porzingis explained. “We don’t like the preseason, preseason practice. We do like it because, at the end of the day, we’re doing what we love but I’m just saying it’s not our favorite thing to do.”
Porzingis and the Mavericks are beginning their NBA restart trip on Friday (July 31) when they face the Houston Rockets.