Things haven’t panned out for Frank Ntilikina in a New York Knicks uniform. Touted as the point guard of the future when he was first drafted, Ntilikina has shown anything but that potential. Every once in a while, there was a flash of an NBA caliber point guard, but that game has not shown often enough. Maybe it’s not totally fair to say since he is just 20 years old and coming to a foreign country. Let’s break down his game and what factors have led Ntilikina to struggle throughout his Knicks tenure.
After Wasted Season, The End Is Near For Frank Ntilikina
Where Should He Play On Offense?
With the Knicks front office undergoing changes over the past couple seasons, it’s hard to say what position anyone really believes Ntilikina fits. He was drafted by Phil Jackson and labeled as a point guard from day one. In the David Fizdale regime, he’s served as more of a combo guard and hasn’t initiated the offense too much. His ability to run an offense leaves a lot to be desired for an NBA point guard. He’s far too passive at the position and lacks the ability to get to the rim consistently and open up shots for guys on the perimeter. His lack of aggressiveness, in general, has seen him take a back seat to numerous point guards for the Knicks this season.
What about as a combo guard? Being able to play on the perimeter without the ball in your hands requires you to be able to efficiently score. Frank doesn’t offer much playing off the ball on offense. His three-point percentage this season is an ugly 28.7%, down from 31.8% last season. His overall field goal percentage is 33.7%, not exactly NBA material. The lack of improvement in Ntilikina’s shooting is worrisome when evaluating his fit on a roster and minutes on an NBA court.
His Saving Grace, Defense
For all of Ntilikina’s shortcomings on offense, he is an absolute stud on the defensive side. The Knicks function at a much higher level defensively when he’s on the court with Mitchell Robinson. Standing at 6’6” with a 7’1” wingspan, Ntilikina is very disruptive on the defensive end. This season he’s only allowing opponents to shoot 45.3% from the floor against him, including just 35.5% from three. While there’s certainly room for improvement, he is a player that is able to anchor the defensive system that Coach Fizdale seeks.
The problem is that defense isn’t flashy and although it helps win games, this is an offensive league. So can you afford to keep him on the court just because of his defense, when he’s a net negative on the offensive end? You probably could, depending on who’s sharing the court with him.
The Surrounding Talent Is Subpar
The Knicks are one of the youngest teams in the league and were expected to struggle. However, trying to bring along a 20-year-old point guard surrounded by rookies without a true veteran guard presence is difficult. Ntilikina needs superior talent around him to help elevate the things that he does well. Providing him with a real pick n pop option would help him along running the pick n roll. Without that option for him with this current roster, he looks worse than he should. Couple that with his lack of aggression attacking the hoop and he ends up deferring and standing around.
Coaching Decisions
It’s difficult to blame the coaching staff for Frank’s struggles, but it wouldn’t be fair to say they’ve handled his situation perfectly. The improvement of Emmanuel Mudiay has taken precedent over Frank at various points. Mudiay has been better than Frank this season by a large margin, but it’s hard to feel good about that when he has no future in the Knicks franchise. It would have been nice to throw Ntilikina out there for 30 plus minutes in a season full of losses anyways.
Frank also had plenty of chances to show improvement on the offensive end. Other than a couple of outstanding shooting instances, he’s been very poor. His first game back from injury, he went 1/6 from the field. Now he’s re-injured his groin and has no definite timetable to return, effectively ending his season.
Injuries
The Knicks have played 74 games so far, with Ntilikina only playing in 42 of those games. He recently missed two months of action with a groin injury, costing him many games. Reports have already claimed the Knicks shopped him in deals and seasons like this don’t help him regain footing with the franchise. Injuries are unfortunately a part of basketball and it has certainly ruined any rhythm he was working towards.
Ultimately, you can’t blame the franchise if they decide to move on from him this summer on draft night. A change of scenery for Frank might be the best thing for him. Getting guards that fit Fizdale’s system will benefit the Knicks moving forward. If the Knicks do land the prized free agents many are expecting, they must acquire players that don’t need the ball. Frank can be effective without having the ball, as long as he works on his jump shot. Ntilikina’s fate hinges on this summer’s roster construction. Come then, we should have answers.
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