frank ntilikina

New York Knicks: The point guard position is starting to take shape

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New York Knicks, Dennis Smith Jr.

The New York Knicks starting point guard position is all but locked up, as the team has 15 players signed to guaranteed contracts for the 2019-20 season. This gives us a pretty good idea of who will be featuring at each spot; at the point guard position, Dennis Smith Jr. will likely be the favorite choice.

The uber-athletic PG For the Knicks is the expected starter given his ability to score and potential he has for the future. Behind Smith Jr., new signing Elfrid Payton is the preferred second option and then Frank Ntilikina as the third reserve player.

The New York Knicks need Dennis Smith Jr. to excel next season:

Next season is incredibly crucial for Dennis Smith Jr., though, as the third campaign in his career will be telling of his potential and if he can be a consistent point guard in the NBA. In his rookie season, he earned All-Rookie honors after averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds and 69 games in 2017.

His jaw-dropping dunks have made him an exciting player to watch, but his mid-range jumper has lacked from the perimeter. That is a part of his game that he has worked on this off-season to refine going into 2019. As a rookie, he shot just 22.3% from three point land. In his first two seasons combined, he shot 31.6% from three. Additionally, he converted less than 70% of his free throws as a rookie and shot only 63.5% last season.

Consistent injuries and deficiencies have hurt his career up to this point, but if he can improve his perimeter shot, he could see himself blossom into the player he’s capable of being. Not relying solely on his athletic ability might take the strain off of his legs and help him avoid injuries.

As for Elfrid Payton, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.1 defense of rebounds over 29.8 minutes last season. His assist totals are very impressive and something the Knicks will look to utilize when he is on the court. His defense is also elite, similar to Ntilikina.

It’s expected that Payton will be the second option behind Smith Jr. given his defensive abilities and desire to move the ball around the floor and give other players opportunities to score. He is not a selfish point guard which attest to his lower point average is and his elevated assists.

Ntilikina, on the other hand, is quite weak in every category. Averaging just 5.7 points, 2.8 assists and 1.7 defensive rebounds over 21 minutes played last season, he is losing favoritism with the coaching staff very quickly and will likely see the 2019-20 season as his last opportunity to be a starting option in the NBA.

I anticipate the Knicks utilizing him in defensive situations only considering his offensive production is so weak.

Is the New York Knicks depth enough to carry them to the playoffs?

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New York Knicks, Noah Vonleh, Frank Ntilikina

Can the New York Knicks survive off their depth?

While the New York Knicks have a questionable starting lineup, their depth is encouraging and has the quality to be one of the most productive in the NBA. However, without an adequate starting unit, it will be challenging to succeed at a high-level and earn a spot in the postseason.

Some might argue that the Knicks starting five is full of talent and capable of surprising us all. A more realistic bunch might hit on some of the questions marks that remain on the team. For example, the lack of chemistry the team currently has, the youth that they will put out onto the court, and the inconsistencies at their point guard position.

Dennis Smith Jr. might have a ton of optimism surrounding him, but he isn’t an elite scorer despite being an above-average athlete that comes up with momentum-changing plays on occasion.

Behind Smith Jr., the Knicks have Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton, two reserve-caliber players that won’t crack the starting team, theoretically giving Dennis the advantage.

It is expected that RJ Barrett, the Knicks third overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft, will be a starting player this season. There are plenty of challenges for him to overcome, and they will be displayed on the court daily. His lack of experience will limit the ultimate success the Knicks can have, but their depth might be able to supplement some of his deficiencies.

The players coming off the bench—Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Damyean Dotson, Allonzo Trier, Noah Vonleh, Payton and Ntilikina.

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Second-round pick, Ignas Brazdeikis, has also looked impressive this off-season giving him a potential shot at playing time in 2019-20.

The reality is, the Knicks don’t have any superstars on their team after losing out to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but they do have plenty of productive players that can compensate to a degree. While the playoffs might be an optimistic goal at this point, they have the potential to raise a few eyebrows down the stretch.

New York Knicks: How Frank Ntilikina will be used in 2019-20

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New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina

When the New York Knicks drafted Frank Ntilikina, they thought they gained an athletic point guard with impressive tangible traits.

The Frenchman has not lived up to the expectations set forth by the Knicks and their fans. It was expected that he would need time to develop, but after taking a major step back in his second year, the team looked to replace him at the point guard position with Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. is a more capable athlete and is more productive on the offensive side of the ball. His defense isn’t as good as Ntilikina‘s, but he holds more value in scoring production.

However, Ntilikina has managed to stay on the roster and will play a part in the 2019 regular season. This could be Frank’s final chance at retaining a spot on the active roster because if he cannot show the quality expected of him, he will be replaced.

The third-year player has found himself in bad situations in the past, missing games via coach’s decision.

The Knicks signing several veteran players only puts Frank at a disadvantage. He will have to fight for playing time.

He will earn his playing time through defensive prowess, which is Frank’s primary strength. He averages over one steal per game which is very valuable and will likely play in specific situations, primarily at the end of games when the Knicks are trying to lock down an opposing team on their final possession.

Ntilikina played a solid amount last season before second-round pick Mitchell Robinson emerged as the better defender and was able to supplement his absence on the floor. However, Elfrid Payton’s arrival makes Ntilikina expendable due to his defensive abilities.

If the third-year player does not improve his offense, it’s unlikely he earns any playing time and will likely be left behind. If he cannot produce more offensively, refining his defense could keep him minimally relevant for the season ahead.

New York Knicks: Who will emerge as the starting point guard?

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New York Knicks, Dennis Smith Jr.

The New York Knicks have an exciting off-season ahead of them. Finding out who will be the starting point guard will take several months and the preseason. However, there’s a clear front runner in Dennis Smith Jr., who has been working tirelessly on his perimeter shot to help produce more for an inefficient offense.

The lack of a Jumper forced struggles upon him in 2018, yet he hit on. 413% of the shots from the field and averaged 14.7 points per game in 2018. His assist totals were solid as well, recording 5.4 per game, but his three-ball was very porous connecting on .322% from beyond the ark.

Smith Jr. will be competing against Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton for starting time. It is expected, however, that Dennis will be the starting option only due to the ineffectiveness of the French-born player and the former New Orleans Pelican.

The Knicks are putting a lot of faith into Dennis Smith Jr. in 2019–20. After losing out on Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker in free agency they were unable to sign a superstar to fill the position and increase the production on the offense. They do believe, though, that Smith can be the future due to his elite athleticism which gives him an advantage over the two remaining options on the roster.

Additionally, his improved perimeter shot should give him the actual legs to improve his game and show his potential going into his third season as a professional basketball player.

At this point in time, Frank is likely not going to be the starting option — he was a potential trade piece prior to the deadline for the Knicks, but interested teams wanted a first-round pick for his talents. He will likely come off the bench and provide support on the defensive side of the ball considering his offensive struggles.

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Another low-key option is Kadeem Allen, who is going into his third season, second with the New York Knicks. He played in 19 games in 2018 averaging 21.9 minutes per game. He is also a more defensive player, only averaging 9.9 points per game, which is still higher than Frank’s. His field goal percentage, however, was .461% from the field. He has the potential to earn some starting minutes, but I anticipate him coming off the bench if he manages to make the roster at all.

The New York Knicks could have one of the deeper benches in the NBA

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

The New York Knicks added a lot of depth this off-season. While fans may not agree with many of the additions, their bench runs deep.

One of the newest Knicks, Bobby Portis, believes the Knicks bench can be one of the best in the league.

Portis was quoted saying, “I think we’ll be a top bench after the Clippers…with our bench we have really good weapons in me, Marcus (Morris), Taj (Gibson), Alonzo Trier, Wayne Ellington. The list goes on.”

Portis is bringing a very positive attitude and energy to this squad. He was already on record saying he loves being the underdog and the Knicks are big-time underdogs this season. On paper, the Knicks do have a solid bench. But, one of the best in the league is a little stretch.

What will the New York Knicks bench look like?

The bench will most likely consist of Morris or Kevin Knox, Gibson, Portis, Elfrid Payton, Trier, Frank Ntilikina, Ellington, Kadeem Allen, Damyean Dotson, and Ignas Brazdeikis.

They cover almost every position with young quality backups. With all players showing potential to start, playing time will be an issue. Coach Fizdale will have his hand’s full distributing playing time.

To start the season, he could swap Knox and Morris, starting Morris, to add some rebounding and defense over an unproven second-year lottery pick.

The bench will need to let their play do the talking. All of this optimistic hype Portis is bringing to the Knicks is great, but let’s see how that translates to the court. Everyone is counting the Knicks out already, so proving they do, in fact, have one of the deeper benches in the league, should be their goal.

New York Knicks: What will Allonzo Triers Role be In 2019?

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New York Kicks, Allonzo Trier

The 2019-2020 NBA season will soon be upon us and the New York Knicks, fortunately, have a few young bright spots from last season. One of them went undrafted, Seattle native, 23-year-old, Allonzo Brian Trier.

This 6’5″ 200lbs fierce and competitive combo guard’s role is quite clear.  Trier’s purpose, of course, is to provide extra offensive torque, lift and power off the bench for the Knicks, similar to what Lou Williams provides for the clippers, also identical to what JR Smith’s role was with the New York Knicks during seasons 2012-2015. 

Last season, Trier proved he’s a legit NBA scoring machine. His deadly offensive repertoire had Knick fans at the edge of their seats drooling and waiting for the next trick he had in his secret bag in the middle of a lost season. This former Arizona Wildcat earned respect from those who didn’t know of him before he entered the league undrafted although coming out of high school, Trier was a projected mid-first-round talent. 

Trier went undrafted due to controversy, injury, and what some scouts would describe as a selfish style of play. He calls himself “Iso ZO” for a reason. However, the kid gets buckets like there won’t be a tomorrow.

How did the New York Knicks fair this offseason?

The New York Knicks led by Scott Perry and Steve mills had an extremely underrated 2019 offseason after coming up short in the Durant and Kyrie sweepstakes.

Perry went on to give out reasonable and tradeable contracts to veterans in order to provide scoring, depth, and relief for the young core in Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, Dennis Smith Jr. Ignas Brazdeikis, Damyean Dotson and Frank Ntilikina. 

Allonzo will benefit from guys like Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington, and even Reggie Bullock due to their experience, professionalism, and knowledge, which can have a positive effect on Trier’s basketball IQ. “Keep What You Kill” will be in full effect in training camp. 

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That kind of competitive nature Fizdale preaches to the young studs will bring out the best in everybody. No Handouts. Coach Fizdale will be seeking wins this season, and Allonzo Trier will be comfortable knowing he will be the primary and first scoring option of the bench for the Knicks.

New York Knicks: Can Kadeem Allen win roster spot over Elfrid Payton?

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New York Knicks, Kadeem Allen

The general consensus at the point guard position for the New York Knicks is that Dennis Smith Jr. will emerge as the starting player. The third-year option has worked all offseason on his shooting form with coach Keith Smart, ensuring he enters the 2019-20 season with an improved perimeter shot.

However, beyond Smith Jr., the Knicks have Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina, and Kadeem Allen all vying for roster spots. Allen, one of the least talked about point guards, could steal the role right out from under Payton and Ntilikina.

“Just trying to show coach that I can compete at the highest level and I can play at the highest level,” Allen said of his goals entering the season. “Just trying to get out there and earn a permanent roster spot.”

How has Kadeem Allen looked for the New York Knicks?

During the Summer League, Allen averaged 8 points, four assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The Knicks finished 2-3 during the period, but he showed enough to be considered as a potential backup option. Last year, he averaged 9.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 21 games.

Allen’s priority isn’t offense, though, as his defense is one of his premier qualities, something the Knicks will likely need in 2019. The only issue is Ntilikina, who is also strong in that category but isn’t as offensively proficient.

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“That’s what I was drafted for – defense. Defense is my calling. I never question myself and I feel like I never really get questioned on that side of the floor. I’m just going to keep doing what I do. Play defense and just try to get my teammates better.”

Kadeem is keen on fighting his way to the top, starting at a JUCO team and sitting as a redshirt player at Arizona. Considering he’s found his way onto an NBA roster after such hardships, there’s no question he has the grit to reach the starting unit. He will have to overcome the uber-athletic Dennis Smith Jr., though, a tall task at this point in his career.

New York Knicks players in FIBA World Cup

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks will have some participants in the upcoming FIBA basketball World Cup this August to September.

Third year guard Frank Ntilikina will participant for the France national team and RJ Barrett should play for Canada.

Both players are projected to start for their national teams.  This will be good for both of these players to get more play in before the NBA season starts.

It will especially good for the development of both players.

Barrett struggled in his first couple games in the Vegas summer league, but showed promise down the stretch, averaging a double-double.  However, his shooting percentage was very sub-par.

Ntilikina continues to work this off-season and appears to have gotten taller and has improved his dribbling and shot. While all the videos of Ntilikina look great, fans, especially myself, need to see Frank perform in the game.

Fans are very happy that the Knicks did not trade Ntilikina. Why trade Ntilikina for a second round pick when he continues to put the work towards getting better.  It was a wise decision to keep Ntilikina.

Playing in FIBA basketball World Cup is going to be a positive for these two young developing Knicks.  Fans have very high hopes for Barrett and are praying Ntilikina can finally break through and perform like we all envision.

New York Knicks could still find trade partner for Frank Ntilikina

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New York Knicks, Frnak Ntilikina

Where will Frank Ntilikina end up after a busy offseason for the New York Knicks?

The Knicks didn’t hold back this offseason from bringing in a plethora of new talent to help supplement the failure of missing out on Kevin Durant and others. Players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris headline the free agent grabs, but the roster has gotten awfully crowded at certain positions.

Specifically, the point guard spot is now flush full of options — Dennis Smith Jr., Kadeem Allen, Elfrid Payton, and Frank Ntilikina.

The Frenchman has struggled to reach his potential after two seasons in the NBA. His defense is solid but his offensive production has lacked. Averaging just 5.9 points per game after two seasons is disappointing, and despite the offseason videos of him heaving up shots, Ntilikina seems to falter every time he featured on an NBA court.

Frank’s name floated around in the rumor mill prior to the start of free agency this year, and while he’s emerged unscathed, there’s still reason to believe he could be traded. Whether or not he has a future with the Knicks is undetermined, but considering he’s likely a third-stringer at this point, they might be better off trading him for draft value.

A team looking for a talented defender with promise could be a trade target, but convincing them of this would be the hurdle.

Smith Jr. and Payton offer the most value at the point guard position, as both are offensively fueled. Kadeem Allen has also shown he can provide value in short bursts. A two-way contract put the Knicks in an advantageous position.

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What else could the New York Knicks do with Frank Ntilikina?

Alternatively, the Knicks could try and move Ntilikina to a different position, but the reality is, there’s nowhere to really put him. With the drafting of RJ Barrett, signing of Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock, finding a spot for Frank beyond the PG position is nearly impossible.

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Head coach David Fizdale used the Frenchman in the 3 at times, utilizing his defense primarily, trying to take the ball out of his hands. That’s the role I anticipate he will feature in more and more as his offense dwindles. What Ntilikina offers simply isn’t enough to garner starting minutes, but a team looking for an above-average defender might be willing to part ways with a second-round pick — in that case, the Knicks should send him on his way before it’s too late.

New York Knicks: Is Kevin Knox ready to become a full-time starter?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

Similar to his rookie campaign, New York Knicks power forward Kevin Knox had a solid Summer League, but this time around he seems different.

Coming into the league a more seasoned player, it’s obvious Knox has been developing his aggressiveness towards the rim and really attacking players in the paint. While we saw this last year, he didn’t seem to have the strength or gusto to weave his way through defenders.

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1149155552070656000

So far during the Summer League, he’s been putting all of his moves on display. Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Knox put up 25 points shooting 58.3 percent from the field (NBA.com). He also made two-of-five three-point attempts (40%).

While he did turn the ball over three times, something he will need to work on, his numbers have certainly been elevated which is a good sign. Last season, he averaged 12.8 points per game over 28.8 minutes played. In addition, his assist rate seems to be up as well, indicating his scanning of the floor and playing to facilitate and not objectify.

New York Knicks: Kevin Knox isn’t the only youngster coming into his own

Knox has looked stellar so far, and his rookie teammate RJ Barrett is finally coming around too, claiming his second-consecutive double-double and first triple-double in a 117-96 win for the Lakers.

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Barrett, who scored 21 points, shooting 35.3 percent from the field, also earned 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He had a very nice game utilizing his athleticism and dominating from the inside. His three-point game continues to struggle as he adapts to the length of the court, but he’s working his way into a role that will be consistent come the start of the regular season.

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Both Knox and Barrett will likely be starting options alongside Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, and Dennis Smith Jr. They have impressive rotational depth with Bobby Portis (could also start over Knox), Allonzo Trier, Ignas Brazdeikis, Damyean Dotson (can also start), Kadeem Allen, Frank Ntilikina, Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson, and Noah Vonleh. These are the primary players with several others sprinkled into the mix.

It will be interesting to see how the starting roster plays out, and having too much talent to choose from is certainly not a bad thing. Unfortunately, none of the options here are considered superstar caliber.