Avoir Peur, Courir, Ntilikina Arrive
The New York Knicks have decided to disappoint yet again, tying their worst start to a season (1–7) since 2009–10 with losses coming from both the Luke Walton kings and the Rose-less, Griffin-less Pistons. Remember this quote from Julius Randle from the midst of free agency?
This aged like milk. Point me to the dog drives head down in the paint, attempts a spin move and has the ball slip out of their hands (paws?) for a turnover every other play. Show me a dog with a career 38% three point shot, who comes in and shoot 26% from beyond the arc. You can’t. Minus Bobby Portis’s 28 point outburst against the bulls, none of the Knicks’ free agent kennel acquisitions look ready to contribute anything meaningful to a winning basketball team.
Still, that doesn’t mean that Knicks fans are without any bright spots. RJ Barrett is living up to the hype, albeit doing so while averaging nearly 37 minutes per game. Mitchell Robinson appears to have picked up exactly where he left off, a sort of Rudy Gobert/Javale McGee prototype, averaging 3.8 blocks (and 6.4 personal fouls) per 36. Great. These are genuinely players you can look forward to watching develop over the next handful of years and to me, player development is one of the most exciting aspects of the NBA. Unfortunately the Knicks have only just begun to prove they’re good at it.
Enter Frank Ntilikina
Around July of 2017 I purchased property on Île de Ntilikina. Unfortunately over the past two years he averaged 21.5 minutes per game (rarely in meaningful moments) putting up 5.8/3/2.1. Flashes of his defensive potential came through at times, but he was unassertive on offense, shot very poorly and looked insecure with his handle. I won’t be the first to criticize Coach Fizdale, who was slinging out ‘DNP-Coach’s Decision’s like candy on Halloween, but it should be said that Alonzo Trier, Emmanuel Mudiay, Dennis Smith Jr. and Damyean Dotson all superceding Frank in the rotation is inexcusable. Throughout the 2018–19 season, a question all Ntilikina fans wondered:
“Why draft him 8th overall if you don’t want to develop him?”
This season started out the same, as he logged roughly three minutes, a DNP and twenty seconds across the first three games. DSJ stepped away from the team with a personal matter on October 28th. Elfrid Payton went out with an injured quad the next game. Suddenly, the Knicks’ guard depth looked much thinner. Suddenly, Fizdale didn’t have much of a choice but to play the 21 year old guard. Ntilikina has not disappointed.
Frank got the start this Wednesday against the Pistons, and exploded for an efficient 11/4/1. A tad facetious? Yes. Unimpressive? Absolutely not. Watch every second of these highlights
His presence was ubiquitous on defense; switching across 4 positions, blocking 3 shots and forcing turnovers at a higher rate than anyone else on the floor. And on offense, as someone who has watched him struggle to develop without steady playing time, I barely recognized him as he stepped into rhythm shots with ease.
It’s a low bar to clear, but Frank is far and away the Knicks’ best perimeter defender. Luke Kennard was his main assignment this game, who ended the game with 4 of 12 shooting. Pistons starting back court finished 7 of 21 (33%) which was in large part a direct result of Ntilikina not only locking them up, but directing traffic and making smart rotations. I can hear it now…
“Well if Frank is so good then why’d they lose by 20, huh?”
Their best rim protector, Robinson was forced to sit late in the first quarter with concussion symptoms after an accidental elbow to the head. Fizdale initially sat Frank at the same time to give him a breather but realized after less than 2 minutes that their defense became a sieve, and put him back in.
At this point Frank was a one man army. Portis is a turnstyle into the paint and Randle’s defense looked subpar — not a recipe for success against an Andre Drummond who is averaging nearly 20/20 this season. And still, at the end of the half while only trailing by 5, Frank the +/- god was the only positive on the team recording a +4.
For a team with otherwise horrific defense, Ntilikina was swarming out there. I have no trouble believing the Knicks would’ve given up 140+ without his quick hands and defensive IQ to stop the bleeding. Stellar defense aside, he looked far more confident, way smoother and played at a faster pace in the full court than I’ve seen before. It’s like his intensity on defense is beginning to be matched when he has the ball in his hands. If he can bump up to even 15 PPG, there is no doubt in my mind he retains that starting spot — and with that the privilege of locking down the Hardens and Kyries of the league. If this is your first exposure to the French Prince, don’t act too surprised; the potential has been there the whole time. Frank Ntilikina is a winning player, and once the Knicks are a winning team, he will really shine.
