Thus far, no New York Knicks player has used the Summer League to their benefit as well as Maurice Ndour. Matched up against a Top 3 prospect from the 2015 NBA Draft, he dominated.
If he continues to turn heads, Ndour should receive a roster spot.
A former star for the Ohio Bobcats, Ndour is attempting to make a roster after going undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. He’s thrived for the Knicks’ Las Vegas Summer League team, scoring and defending at a high level.
Considering how thin the Knicks’ front line is, Ndour shouldn’t be ruled out as a rotational asset for 2015-16.
The candidates to start along the Knicks’ interior are power forwards Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Williams, and center Robin Lopez. The backups include Louis Amundson and Kyle O’Quinn.
All five are quality players, with Porzingis possessing star potential and Lopez guaranteed to start, but no one else is locked in to their role.
Amundson, O’Quinn and Williams can all be high-caliber contributors, but their careers have included some degree of inconsistency. Thus, it stands to reason that New York is willing to gamble on other players.
Ndour could be that player.
Ndour finished the 2014-15 college basketball season with averages of 16.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He also shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range with 0.9 shots converted from distance per game.
Ndour has all of the traits of the contemporary stretch 4—spacing the floor and protecting the rim.
Thus far in Summer League, he’s put those skills on display. He’s been intriguing in the paint defensively, but his true standout performance came on the offensive end.
Ndour scored 23 points as the Knicks defeated Jahlil Okafor and the Philadelphia 76ers 84-81 in overtime.
Ndour’s offensive versatility was even more impressive than his numbers.
Ndour scored in a variety of ways, including spin moves towards the basket, off-hand finishes and step-back, all-net jump shots. He played above the rim, faced up and crashed the boards.
It was only one game, but it should not be overlooked.
Ndour showed the offensive skill set to be an ideal fit in the Triangle Offense. He’s a quality shooter with range, a strong passer and a relentless finisher down low.
Ndour may not be the Knicks’ next Jeremy Lin, but what if he is?
Before there was Linsanity, Lin was a Summer League star. He lit up NBA Draft star John Wall, turning heads, but not quite doing enough to receive a roster spot.
Could that be Ndour with Okafor?
In a season during which the Knicks are not expected to contend for a championship, roster spots aren’t exactly precious. Carmelo Anthony, Arron Afflalo, Jose Calderon and Lopez are the veterans, while young players Langston Galloway, Jerian Grant, and Porzingis highlight the future.
Without a realistic shot at the Larry O’Brien Trophy, what’s the harm in gambling on an upside player who held his own against a future star in Summer League?
If Ndour doesn’t pan out, then it’d be at the expense of a low-cost, partially guaranteed contract. If he does, he’d be an absolute steal whose energy and skill provide something New York was missing in 2014-15.
Standing at 6’9″ with a 7’4″ wingspan, the Senegalese sensation is on the right path towards securing a roster spot.
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