There is a budding story that is slowly growing right now as the 2015 NBA Draft draws near. And its main protagonist is a guy named Kristaps Porziņģis.

Kristaps Porziņģis who?

Porziņģis is a 7-foot-1 center-forward from Latvia who has good length and athleticism, runs the floor, protects the rim with his long arms and quick lateral movement, and finishes strong above the rim. To exaggerate, he has the speed and agility of a rookie Kevin Garnett and the outside shooting touch of a young Dirk Nowitzki, only rawer.  

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He has been the darling of the fans and reporters lately, especially after his pre-draft workout video was released last June 12.

Slam Online called him the "man of mystery" as he is a virtual unknown up until that workout in front of NBA executives on Friday. While scouts and other personnel tasked to discover potential raw talent both inland and overseas are already familiar of him, most people aren't. That is why as soon as he dribbled and ran with the ball full court and swished it from as deep as the three-point area in all angles, the audience at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas were left in awe and (take note) mouths wide open.

SB Nation reported that Porziņģis could be the steal of this year's draft as the seven-footer showed the potential to shoot from long range and protect the interior at the big stage.

There are even growing speculations that the 19-year-old phenom could be drafted as high as the second or third pick, which are currently in possession of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers respectively, according to Bleacher Report.

The only major weakness that witnesses saw in Porziņģis is not about his game but on his stature. They said that his slim 220-pound frame would literally be destroyed - joints, bones, tendons, and all - once he gets inside the paint with an Andre Drummond, Kendrick Perkins, Chris Andersen, or Marc Gasol, for example. He will definitely struggle defensively even against burly small forwards and shooting guards like Lance Stephenson, Draymond Green, and LeBron James.

However, analysts also suggested that his body and strength can easily be developed once he is settled in with an NBA team after June 25.

Putting that aside, Porziņģis is definitely one of the most exciting draft prospects that the league has seen in recent years.

TagsNBA 2015, NBA news, NBA News 2015, nba draft rumors, NBA Draft Rumors 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis, Kristaps Porziņģis