New York Knicks: What the wild offseason means for future of NYK

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BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 22: Frank Ntilikina poses for a portrait after being drafted number eight overall to the New York Knicks during the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Frank Ntilikina’s Future

This is a tough topic to answer with certainty. Frank Ntilikina didn’t play at Summer League due to injury. He didn’t play American collegiate basketball, either.

Most New York Knicks fans just know that he’s a young French kid who apparently thrived in the FIBA Europe U-18 Championship tournament.

Jackson spoke about Ntilikina shortly after he was selected:

"“We like the size of this young man, we like his aptitude for the game, athleticism, actually the ability to incorporate himself in a winning type of a situation…He’s up court playing full-court defense. He’s aggressive. He likes to do that. He thinks that’s a big part of who he is.”"

Ntilikina was known to be one of the (if not the) best defensive guards in the 2017 NBA Draft. He has a 7’0″ wingspan, and he’s used that length to his advantage.

However, in a point guard oriented NBA, with a focus on offense, questions percolate regarding Ntilikina’s effectiveness. He’s an excellent passer, always looking to share the ball. On the other hand, there have been times where he seems a little too unselfish with the basketball.

Draft Day

Many wanted the Knicks to draft North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who wowed crowds at Summer League. There was some caution regarding Smith due to an ACL injury in high school.

However, Ntilikina carried the caution of simply being a mysterious European player. An almost identical situation surrounded Kristaps Porzingis during his draft year.

Fans are now cautious of knocking Ntilikina off so quickly.

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