Can Kristaps Porzingis defend the perimeter?

If you’re like me and followed the New York Knicks consistently throughout the 2017–18 season, you have managed to come across some version of the following statement posted by Anonymous Knicks Fan X: “Kristaps Porzingis cannot defend on the perimeter; he is simply not good at it.” Anonymous Knicks Fan X would then follow up with something resembling this statement: “Porzingis needs to play the five in order to protect and stay closer to the rim because this is what he is best at on defense.”

Anchoring the defense and not defending players outside the paint is an easy stance to take. In spite of playing 88 percent of his time at power forward, Porzingis managed to average the 16th most…