NEW YORK (2016 Rio Olympics) - If there is one characteristic to Kristaps Porzingis that makes the New York Knicks phenomenon a must-have player for Latvia in international competition as soon as possible, it's his mentality.

The 20-year-old from Liepaja likes pressure. As a resident of the Big Apple, the American city where the media glare is white hot and fans scream for perfection, Porzingis is scrutinized every minute of every day.

"About the fans and what's going on in New York right now, I like it," he said to FIBA.com. "I appreciate all the support and the love shown by Knicks Nation and I have to admit that I play better when there is pressure. I am not scared of it, not at all."

That support wasn't there early on, though. When the Knicks used the fourth pick overall on the Latvian at this past summer's NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden (MSG), there were plenty of boos.

It takes a special player to be able to thrive when all eyes are on him, though. Porzingis, so far, has been that sort of player. He is averaging 13 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

He hasn't fallen short of expectations, as many predicted he would. He hasn't just met expectations, either. Porzingis has surpassed expectations. That is a huge cause for celebration for a success starved Knicks team, one that hasn't made the playoffs since the 2012-13 campaign.

There have been some huge experiences for the former Cajasol Sevilla player. Consider what happened on 7 December against Dallas, when the Latvian went up against an NBA great from Europe, Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, for the first time. Porzingis had 28 points to Nowitzki's 25. After the Mavs' 104-97 victory at MSG, Nowitzki called Porzingis a "complete package."

"The comparisons (between Nowitzki and Porzingis) are more than fair," Nowitzki said. "He's way ahead of the curve. When I was 20, I was scared to death out there. He's almost averaging a double-double out there. He's better than I was in my 20s, so the comparison is probably unfair to him."

What did it mean to Porzingis to hear that a future Hall of Famer had heaped praise on him? He loved it.

"Those are nice compliments and it's good to hear because that gives me some extra motivation," Porzingis said. "But I am not going to think too much about it and say to myself 'I have proven everything, that's good.' I am not this kind of person."

Porzingis is taking New York by storm and proving many a doubter wrong. Had he been short on confidence before moving to the United States, maybe he would have endured a slow start. However, he travelled to the USA with a lot of self-belief.

"I am not surprised," he said of his early success. "I have always had high expectations for myself. I have really been enjoying how things have been going on for me and seeing that I am getting used to the NBA so fast. I still have a lot to learn about the game, and I am listening to every advice given by my teammates and coaches so I can improve a lot."

The Knicks will not be the only team to benefit from Porzingis. He will one day put on the national team shirt of Latvia. It's something that he is looking forward to.

"I think that we have a bright future in basketball," he said. "There are a lot of young prospects that are currently playing at the highest level in Europe, including in the Spanish Liga ACB (Liga Endesa) like I did. That is a good thing and a great opportunity for our country to build a solid national team for the future. We all want to have a very competitive team soon and, if possible, go one day to the Olympic games."

It's too early to know when Porzingis will play for Latvia, though, a national team that finished eighth at EuroBasket 2015. The country could, if the Czech Republic, Italy or Serbia are named as a host nation for one of next year's three FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs), send a side to an an OQT.

Janis Timma (LAT) is promising talent in the national team

"I want to be part of the national team in the future, that is for sure," Porzingis said. "But the most important thing for me now is to be a solid NBA player. After this, I will for sure help my country and give everything for Latvia. I am a proud Latvian."

Porzingis is young. He accepts that he has much to improve on. Most important, he needs to get stronger.

"You can't be a perfect player in a couple of months," he said. "It takes years to reach your best level and I want to keep working hard. The biggest aspect I need to improve is the physical one, as I want to be very solid playing against other big men night after night. During the season, I have been working a lot on my body, and during the offseason I will also work on other aspects of my game."

FIBA