David Fizdale could not even bear to look at Kristaps Porzingis in the gym.
No, it is not because he dislikes the 7-foot-3 forward, nor was it because he did not like what he saw.
Quite the opposite, actually.
Fizdale watched Porzingis, who is receovering from ACL surgery he had last February, move fluidly, draining 3-point shots and throwing down dunks while working out with assistant coach Kaleb Canales before Friday's 121-105 loss to the Pacers.
It was too much of a tease for Fizdale that he had to look away.
"I walked by and just put my hand up [in front of my face]," Fizdale told reporters on Friday. "Because it's just for me, it's like, 'God, I've got this 7-foot beast here. So I literally be like this [puts hand in front of face]."
Porzingis did not seem to mind the reaction.
"He started laughing," said Fizdale. "He sad, 'Don't look, coach. Don't look.' But he's progressing, and I think he's in a really good place right now."
Porzingis, a restricted free-agent at the end of the season, is expected to be re-evaluated in mid-February, but there is a realistic chance the Knicks could shut him down for the remainder of the season and prepare him for next year.
"We're still being cautious, I would say, but at the same time just pushing, getting to the next level, jumping and moving, his strides and all of that stuff," said Fizdale. "He's in a really, a great groove right now with his workouts and his development."
Fizdale has not noticed any dropoff in the 23-year-old's movements, either, another positive sign.
"That I don't see. I haven't seen him move in a way that makes me go, 'Uh oh,'" Fizdale said. "I think we're going about it the right way. His body looks great. He looks strong, he's definited. It's just a matter of time, and when we get him, we'll be happy."