New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina should be the starting point guard

New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina had his third-year option picked up. With the starting point guard job up for grabs, should it be Ntilikina that gets it?

The New York Knicks exercised the third-year option on French point guard Frank Ntilikina on Monday. He will make about $4.9 million next year.

Ntilikina was drafted by the Knicks last year with the eighth overall pick, the last move made by Phil Jackson as team president.He averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in his rookie season.

The French guard is in the mix to be the starting point guard. Emmanuel Mudiay and Ron Barker are also competing for the job.

Then there’s undrafted rookie Allonzo Trier, who averaged 14.2 points on 47.8 percent shooting in the preseason.

Knicks coach David Fizdale told Steve Popper of Newsday that he doesn’t know who will start at point guard yet.

"“We’ve still got a lot to figure out. We’ve still got a lot of guys we’re evaluating, figuring out how they fit into the puzzle. So this thing is something — like I said before, it could change. Going into it, I honestly don’t know right now who is the starting point guard.”"

So, who should start at point guard for the Knicks?

The answer is Frank Ntilikina.

In the preseason finale on Friday,  Ntilikina had nine points, five assists, a steal, and four rebounds, which was the best performance out of the people competing for the starting point guard job.

This preseason the Frenchman averaged 7.1 points on 45.2 percent shooting and shot 50 percent on three-pointers. He shot about ten percent higher than he did last season.

Ntilikina had a solid preseason and is only getting better.

He also has remained healthy and that’s why he should be the starting point guard.

However, Ntilikina told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he doesn’t care if he starts at point guard or not.

"“We have a great coach for our team. We trust him to do the best decisions. He knows basketball. If he wants me to start, I’ll start. I’ll be ready. If he wants me to come off the bench, doesn’t matter. I’ll come on the court as ready as I’ll be.”"

If Ntilikina doesn’t start at point guard, Allonzo Trier should.

Trier has been impressive so far as he averaged 15.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 54.1 percent shooting and 37.5 percent on three-pointers. He has earned a spot on the roster.

The one thing that prevent Trier from being the starting point guard is his two-way contract. Here’s what Fizdale said to Marc Berman about Trier.

"“We have 45 days of him working with us to figure out what’s the next move. We are in the process of working with that and finding the best way to stretch that out. Obviously the kid has shown he’s an NBA basketball player. It’s a matter of us doing it in a way that’s best for the team. He’s showing he just has a knack for putting the ball in the hole and showed he’s a competitor defensively.”"

Frank Ntilikina should be the starting point guard for the Knicks. If he doesn’t get it, however, then the job should go to Allonzo Trier.