New York Knicks: Why Frank Ntilikina deserves another chance

As the 2019-20 season approaches, the New York Knicks have to figure out their rotations. Here’s why Frank Ntilikina deserves another shot in Coach Fizdale’s system.

After playing two underwhelming seasons with the New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina has not lived up to being the eighth pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.

Being drafted at nineteen-years-old does not come with many expectations, but being drafted early in the first round does.

In Ntilikina’s defense, what expectations can be met when a first-round draft pick only starts in twenty-five games and hasn’t played starters’ minutes?

The bottom line is that a combination of his role on the Knicks and not being skilled and confident enough on the offensive end stunted Ntilikina’s growth as an NBA player.

During his first season playing for Coach Fizdale, he was also not given a viable opportunity to make an impact on the Knicks. Battling a nagging groin injury forced Ntilikina to miss two months early last season and the rest of the season after March 22nd was another setback for the twenty-one-year-old Frenchman.

Back in March, Coach Fizdale has acknowledged Ntilikina’s struggles and wants him explicitly to become more consistent from beyond the arc.

Ntilikina will hopefully transition his improvements to the NBA to earn the playing time he deserves.

Standing at 6’6” and possessing an astounding 7’1” wingspan, Ntilikina has tremendous upside moving forward. At his best, defensively, Fizdale should challenge Ntilikina to guard opposing teams’ best players while involving him more in the offense.

Improved shot and confidence

This summer, during the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Ntilikina has shown growth on the offensive end. In eight games, he averaged 8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, one steal, on 43.6% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc, 88.9% from the charity stripe, in 19.5 minutes a game.

It is worth mentioning that while this was a small sample size and a different competition, Ntilikina managed to average more points, shoot better from the field, and showcase his newfound confidence from beyond the arc.

One notable performance was during Team France’s Quarter-Finals win against Team USA, where Ntilikina hit two big three-pointers during the fourth quarter and helping contain Kemba Walker to 2/9 from the field.

Ntilikina made his presence known and was a pivotal piece to Team France’s third-place finish.

Furthermore, Ntilikina has recently stated that “I’m motivated, determined to succeed with the Knicks jersey” and that “being, at this moment, the one who wears the jersey for the longest time on the roster is a responsibility.”

Looking forward to succeeding in a Knicks jersey (especially during these times) and acknowledging what he has to do to achieve is the mentality that’s needed in New York.

Final thoughts

Ntilikina has shown potential throughout this summer’s FIBA Basketball World Cup, despite playing two minutes less than his two-year NBA career average (21.6 mpg).

Although Ntilikina played only forty-three games under Coach Fizdale last season due to injury, he was once again not given an ample opportunity to earn his role on a young Knicks roster and will be facing a much more significant obstacle this upcoming season.

Coach Fizdale has to decide whether to utilize Ntilikina’s versatility and trust in his improved shooting ability from beyond the arc or choose to use other less-effective guards (defensively) on the roster. Giving the right players the amount of playing time they deserve and putting the Knicks in the best position to succeed will be Fizdale’s toughest choices yet.

Ntilikina, however, looks more comfortable shooting the ball and back in his element on the defensive end of the floor; which will pay off this upcoming season when he battles the other Knick guards for more than twenty minutes a game.