frank ntilikina

New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina’s Defensive Assertiveness is Earning Him Respect Around The League

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New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina

New York Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina received high praises from his peer competitor Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. Donovan Mitchell stated,

He’s one of the toughest defenders I’ve had to face. He’s a guy I really respect in this league just because he goes and does it the right way. He’s really quiet but really efficient, the way he’s able to lock in. Imo

Frank Ntilikina is a plus defender and intangibles guy for the Knicks. The guard from Strasbourg is becoming a valuable and efficient weapon for the New York Knicks off the bench. Some wonder if the Knicks already have their point guard of the future in Ntilikina. There are some who believe the Knicks should draft the best player possible on draft night instead of drafting for positional needs.

With tantalizing talent at the top of the mock draft such as Obi Toppin, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman, Leon Rose and the Knicks will need to make some important decisions and crucial evaluations. LaMelo Ball has been linked to the Knicks through current mock drafts and his dad’s interview with FS1’s Uninterrupted.

Leon Rose has been connected to Frank Ntilikina. Leon Rose represented Ntilikina during his first two seasons in the NBA. Even though Ntilikina changed agents, Ntilikina’s respect level for Leon Rose has never wavered,
According to Ntilikina,

Leon is an expert in his job. He knows what he’s doing. He was a great agent and I’m sure he’s going to do great things here. Coming in the league, I didn’t know what to expect. I was just ready for whatever. And it’s been a dream, Now I’ve just got to see what’s ahead and keep building. So it is what it is. I’m just focusing on being the best player I can be in the future and helping my team be the best team it can.

Frank Ntilikina’s defense is getting even better for the New York Knicks

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Mike Miller, Frank Ntilikina

The New York Knicks have defensive all-star in the making.  Frank Ntilikina’s defense continues to improve each game, especially in crunch time.

In the Knicks most recent defeat, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell praised the defense of Ntilikina.  He stated that “He’s one of the toughest defenders I ever have to face…it’s great the Knicks continue to give him multiple shots because he deserves it.”

Ntilikina does get a lot of criticism from Knicks fans, however, his overall game has improved this season.  This is coming after a very good outing with his native country of France in the FIBA World Cup.  Especially of recent, you can see that Ntilikina’s confidence gets stronger and stronger each game.

Some with also say that the comments made by Mitchell was “just being nice.”  He have a pretty in-depth analysis to just be nice.”  So, to say that Mitchell “is just being nice” is inaccurate.

His defense will always be there.  That is why Ntilikina is always in at the end of the game on the opponents best guard player to put the ‘clamps’ on them.  It first happen when the Knicks played the Luka and Mavs then against Russell Westbrook and the Rockets.

When given the time to develop and grow, Ntilikina has proven that he can be a defensive stud for the Knicks.  His offensive will hopefully come in time but the confidence is there.  He’s been aggressive and shooting more often, building off his productive games of recent.  If he can nail down that mid-range jumper, he’ll be an instant starter for the New York Knicks.

Thank the higher powers the New York Knicks have RJ Barrett

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

If it wasn’t for RJ Barrett, the New York Knicks would be unwatchable this season.  He’s been one of the only bright spots in this gloomy time for the organization.

Last night’s game proved that there is some hope for the Knicks, thanks to Barrett.  Of course the Knicks lost, 123-112 in Houston, but watching Barrett eased the pain.

Barrett showed the Knicks fans base that he has the ability to be a star in this league.  All the talent and ability is there, but getting last night performance to be consistent is key.  He’s probably the only player, besides Mitchell Robinson, that fans aren’t worried about their player development.  They’ll be just fine.

Barrett looked confident, strong and aggressive all night.  His ability to control his body while driving to the bucket and absorbing contact is a thing of beauty.  It’s by far the best in the league for rookies.  And you know things are cooking for Barrett when he’s knocking down 3’s as well.

Everything he did last night should make Knicks fans smile.  Barrett was able to push the ball up court as the backup point guard, with a depleted back court, and find the open man.  Case-in-point.  Only him and Elfrid Payton have that ability this season.

Maybe it was playing better competition that brought out an even better Barrett?  Whatever it was, it’s the reason why the Knicks said that Barrett, and Robinson, were untouchable at the trade deadline.  He’s the main building block for the future and in-coming team president Leon Rose.

In a season when it’s been mostly negative, Barrett continues to shine and show fans that he’s the reason the New York Knicks should have hope for the future.

This is what the New York Knicks should do this summer

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are still in the early stages of a rebuild.  No matter what anyone says, they’re several pieces away from contending in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks need shooters.  After the Marcus Morris trade, the team took a big hit shooting wise.  There are some shooters that may be on the market that the Knicks should try for.

The Sacramento Kings have a decision to make regarding Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic.  Hield was replaced in the starting lineup by Bogdanovic which left him feeling some type of way.  He’ll also be a free agent this upcoming summer.

Therefore, Hield coming off the bench is something that he doesn’t want long term.  A trade could requested since he’s unhappy.  The Kings may go Bogdanovic since he’s younger.

The Knicks are in the market for a shooter and they have picks to play with.  However, the picks are something the team doesn’t want to part with.  They could offer picks and a young player, like Kevin Knox.

Lauri Markkanen is another player that should be on the Knicks radar.  The excitement in Chicago as dwindled away with the emergence of Wendell Carter Jr.  Draft picks and a young player could be in player for Markkanen.  Adding a shooting power forward alongside Mitchell Robinson would be the perfect fit.

In the draft, the Knicks should and will target a point guard.  Whether that’s Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball all depends on their draft position.  If they decide to go with something other than a point guard, Fred Van Vleet needs to be a consideration.

Van Vleet will get big money from Toronto or somewhere else.  If they don’t pursue him, which most they likely won’t, the Knicks can run it back with Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina and whoever they draft, saying it’s a point guard.

Leon Rose and the New York Knicks will have a lot of options this summer saying this ‘new’ front office makes those drastic changes.

Frank Ntilikina should still be a part of the New York Knicks’ future

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New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina

The New York Knicks have had difficulty developing their draft picks in recent years. 3rd-year guard Frank Ntilikina’s potential has been a divisive topic among Knicks fans. A lottery selection in the 2018 draft, Frank’s career to this point hasn’t panned out the way many would have hoped. So how should the Knicks utilize the Frenchman going forward?

Frank Ntilikina is not the Knicks’ point guard of the future, and that’s fine.

Frank hasn’t been able to take hold of the Knicks starting point guard job. This is where the Knicks as a franchise have let disappointment and frustration dominate both their narrative and their decisions. A classic Knicks move would be to completely jump ship. However, just because Ntilikina isn’t going to be an All-Star does not mean his future is bleak.

Frank’s recipe for success is as the team’s “swiss army knife” off the bench. The sooner the front office and fans can accept this, the easier it will be to let Frank grow into the best player he can be.

So what are Frank’s strengths? Ntilikina’s defense has been what has kept him on the court. Frank was measured at 6’6 at the FIBA World Cup this past summer. His height and massive 7’1 wingspan allow him effortlessly clog passing lanes and disrupt ball handlers.  Currently, Ntilikina ranks as the 5th most effective pick and roll defender in the NBA. His frame and tenacity not only make him an annoyance for opposing point guards but also allow him to even match up and defend taller wing players.

On offense, Frank has shown flashes of playmaking potential. He’s worked well operating a pick and roll, but his shooting has been dreadful. Shooting just 38% from the field and 30% from 3, Frank’s ability to score has been erratic. So if he is to improve his game, where can the Knicks look for inspiration?

Frank Ntilikina can be the next… Justise Winslow?

Now while current Memphis Grizzly Justise Winslow was recently traded away by the Heat, his career to this point can be a lesson for Frank and Knicks fans. Winslow, like Ntilikina, was a lottery pick who stayed on the court because of his defense. Winslow struggled with his shooting early on, shooting just 40% from the field and 26% from 3 in his first two seasons.

The Heat stuck with him. Winslow continued to improve his shooting and playmaking while becoming one of the league’s best defenders. Winslow cemented himself as a jack-of-all-trades whose versatility allowed him to thrive.

At 21 years old, Frank’s development is far from over. In accepting a new role that lets him focus on his strengths, he could turn into a dangerous 2-way player. So whether or not the Knicks select a point guard in the 2020 draft, Ntilikina should still be seen as a piece of the Knicks’ future.

The New York Knicks aren’t developing their youth

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks have had many organizational issues over the last decade. These include front office mismanagement, a revolving door at head coach, and an inability to develop young players. The Knicks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference at 20 games below .500. They are in line to finish as the 6th worst team in the NBA. Not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to have great lottery odds. We’ve seen this story before.

The Knicks are neglecting their draft picks.

Take Kevin Knox, the 8th overall pick of the 2018 draft as an example. In 2018, Playing alongside a barren roster, Knox managed to earn NBA Rookie of the month for December and a spot in the Rising Stars Game.

What is Knox up to in his 2nd season? He is currently averaging  18.4 minutes per game, 28th among sophomores. You read that correctly. The 8th overall pick from a year ago is 28th in minutes played amongst his draft class peers.

When the Knicks traded Marcus Morris at the deadline, it was an opportunity for younger players to take his minutes. In the three games since Morris has been traded, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, and Dennis Smith rank 9th, 10th, and 11th on the team in minutes per game, respectively. Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson have been DNPs. Iggy Brazdeikis and Kenny Wooten are stuck in the G League. Taj Gibson and Wayne Ellington have seen more minutes in those games.

With this roster, development is far more critical than a few wins. Knicks fans don’t want to see Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton lead the team to victory a few times a month. They want to see the “Baby Knicks” get playing time. They want to see a youth movement.

New York Knicks trade deadline rumors starting to heat up

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New York Knicks, Bobby Portis

The New York Knicks have a lot of trade rumors circulating.  For the most part, it appears that the Knicks are willing to trade everyone except RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson.

Last night, the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers, 139-134 , to win their second straight game.  However, all the attention was on the players on the trading block.  This was the last game for Mike Miller to showcase the veteran players before the trade deadline.

The deadline is this Thursday at 3pm EST.

NBA Trade Deadline Rumors

D’Angelo Russell

Again, the Knicks have made it clear that everyone is available for a trade except Barrett and Robinson.  The Knicks are linked to D’Angelo Russell.  They’ve, allegedly, offered Bobby Portis, Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Allonzo Trier and a 2nd second pick.

That is way to much to give up for Russell.  The Warriors didn’t seem to like that package and, allegedly, want Mitchell Robinson added in deal, along with a 1st round pick.  The Knicks should’ve been trying to get the restricted free-agent last summer.  And now, he’s making over 27 million a season.  But, that’s the Knicks for you.  At least, they don’t want to part with their 1st round picks, for now.

Julius Randle 

The Charlotte Hornets have been reported to have interest in Randle.  This comes after the Knicks always seem linked to Malik Monk around the deadline.  ‘Scary’ Terry Rozier has been reported to be in the deal, another point guard to add to the roster.  Rozier is like Randle but at the guard position.

Speaking of point guards, the Knicks have interest in Thunder’s Dennis Schroeder.  The Knicks continue to search for that everyday point guard, which they don’t have.

Marcus Morris and Bobby Portis

The New York Knicks have been trying to get rid of Portis rather than Marcus Morris.  Morris said that he wants to help the young players and be a Knick for the long-term.  However, his trade value has never been higher considering this is his best offensive season.

The Knicks have strong feelings that they would be able to re-sign the free agent Morris this off-season.  However, he’s going to be 31-years old and not getting younger.  The Knicks need to think about how his leadership was this season and consider their options.

With the Knicks off until Thursday night, the team could look very different come 7:30 pm against the Magic.  The Magic have interest in acquiring Dennis Smith Jr., who wants out of New York.  With his strong performance last night, he very well could be on the way.

However, as we all know, this is the Knicks.  There will be all of this noise about trades and nothing will happen or they will do something out of left field that gets fans scratching their heads.

The New York Knicks are the most frustrating team to watch

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New York Knicks, Dennis Smith Jr.

The New York Knicks played a typical ‘New York Knicks’ basketball game last evening.  The Knicks fell to the Charlotte Hornets, 97-92, after a great start to the game.

Both teams started the game with honoring the late, great Kobe Bryant.  The Hornets won the tip and took a 24-second shot clock violation followed by the Knicks taking a 8-second back-court violation.

Like mostly every other game, the Kncks came out hot.  Going up 13 at one point in the first half.  Everything was dropping for Julius Randle and couldn’t be guarded down-low.  He looked like he was playing for Bryant with 18 first half points but only ended with 24 points, fading away.

As all fans now, the defensive let up is always lurking around the corner.  It happens every game and it’s so unbelievably frustrating.  We sound like a broken record.

The Knicks begin and go on stretches were it appears that they could be onto something.  Then, they always let their guard down, having their opponent easily get back into the game.  If you want to be a good basketball team, you need to know how to put your opponent way.  The Knicks don’t know how to do that.

They aren’t a good team, not matter what anyone says.  The team thinks they’re good and while it’s good to have that confidence, there’s a difference between optimistic and reality.

The reality is the New York Knicks are a bad basketball team.  One of the worst teams in the league.  Playing veteran players and having lackadaisical defensive pressure deserves them to be at the very bottom.

When is Mike Miller going to realize that he isn’t ‘showcasing’ these veterans.  The Knicks aren’t winning games so it seems counterproductive to play the veterans over the young players.  Miller is taking away developmental time from the young players.  Frank Ntilikina barely played, Kevin Knox only played 11 minutes and Daymean Dotson 19 minutes, not ideal.  Fans would rather lose games with young players over veteran players.

All the Knicks articles these day seem to be constantly repeating themselves.  So no need to repeat ourselves because it’ll most likely happening again tonight in Memphis Grizzlies.  It’s getting old, play the young players and lose with them at least.

New York Knicks, for once, might do the right thing before the trade deadline

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New York Knicks, Kenny Wooten

The New York Knicks are always in the mix when the trade deadline comes around.  Last season the Knicks made a big splash with the Kristaps Porzingis trade in January.  They were able to acquire picks which is something rare for them.

The Knicks always seem to be the team that’s giving away picks for superstars and/or quick fixes.  That hasn’t happened for awhile now but back in the early 2000’s and 2010’s it happened a lot.

This time around the Knicks appear to be staying put on trading away any of their first-round picks.  That is the best news that fans can hear around the deadline.  First-rounds picks are where the Knicks are going to build their future.  Stock piling as many picks as they can is only going to be better in the long run.

The Knicks are finally doing the right thing when it comes to keeping all picks.

Another thing that the New York Knicks finally did right was calling up G-League stand-out Kenny Wooten Jr.  There were teams that were reportedly interested in trading for Wooten, so the Knicks had to act fast.  They signed him to a two-way contract and waived Ivan Rabb.

Wooten should get time considering other teams were interested in him and the Knicks need to see what he can go.  He had major ups and pairing him with Mitchell Robinson would be something to look forward to for the future.  Wooten’s highlight tape speaks for itself.

It’s time for the New York Knicks to only play the young guys

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New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina

The 2019-20 New York Knicks season has quickly gone down the drain.  It began with a lot of optimism of making the final few playoff spots.  Now sitting 7 games out of the the 8th seed, it appears the season has gotten out of hand, again.

While all the rumors of trading Marcus Morris, Dennis Smith Jr. and Bobby Portis are circulating, it’s nice to hear Morris wanting to be with the Knicks long-term.  He’s 30-years old and isn’t in the long-term plans for the organization.

However, the Knicks need a change and going all young is the way to go.  Not playing some of the younger players is putting a bad taste in the fans mouths.

Kevin Knox is a prime example.  Knox has severely underachieved this season.  All his stats are down from his rookie campaign along with his confidence.  Knox put the work in this off-season to improve and it was seen to begin the year and it had dwindled away with all other aspects of his game.  For him to be apart of the future plans, he needs a significant increase in minutes.

The future players consist of RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle.  For the most past, Randle will be in the Knicks plans for the next two-years.

Others that should be in the future plans are Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier and Elfrid Payton.  Even players down in the G-League like Kenny Wooten Jr., Lamar Peters and Ignas Brazdeikis, who has been on the roster, need a chance to showcase their skills.  There could be a hidden gem with one of those 3 players to contribute to the Knicks young future.

It’s time for the New York Knicks to go all-in on playing, developing and growing their youthful future.