Phil Jackson’s selection of Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft, reveals a concerning pattern that indicates a hypocritical stance on Kristaps Porzingis
New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson recently entertained the idea of trading Kristaps Porzingis. Presumably, due to Porzingis’ decision to skip a team meeting. On the contrary, there was a point in time when Phil Jackson called Porzingis an untouchable asset.
During a pre-draft interview, Jackson revealed that he has taken a 180 degree turn and is now open to hearing trade offers for Porzingis.
Porzingis came into the league young and foreign-born, with a unique skillset for a player with his size and length. Amidst the circus that Jackson has riled up around Porzingis, he drafted Frank Ntilikina at the No. 8 in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Ntilikina, like Porzingis, developed overseas as a raw talent, and boasts a unique physical profile with elite size and length for his position.
Take into consideration: Jackson has routinely shown us the type of players he’s attracted to. He particularly has a niche for players who own unique aesthetics in size, combined with athleticism at their respective position. He also looks for unselfishness and a willingness to make sacrifices for the team.
Phil Jackson’s press conference revealed as much in the video below.
"We like the size of this young man, we like his aptitude for the game, and his athleticism…We felt he that he had the ability to incorporate himself in a winning type of a situation. We felt he had real good feel for his team and how to play with guys."
The most important part to notice in his list of reasons for drafting Ntilikina is:
"He follows directions, I think he’s very good at that."
In addition, Phil has also been cited as being a fan of Ricky Rubio. This furthers a common trend for what apparently seems to be religion for Phil Jackson.