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New York Knicks: 5 players Frank Ntilikina should study

By Maxwell Ogden

GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Frank Ntilikina of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Frank Ntilikina of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOV 2: Gary Payton #20 of the Seattle Supersonics drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 2, 2000 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Copyright 2000 NBAE (Photo by Robert Mora/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOV 2: Gary Payton #20 of the Seattle Supersonics drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 2, 2000 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Copyright 2000 NBAE (Photo by Robert Mora/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Gary Payton

If the goal is elite defensive proficiency, then Gary Payton is the perfect player for Frank Ntilikina to study. One could fairly make the claim that no point guard has ever been more dominant on defense than The Glove.

A former Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time All-Defensive First Team honoree, Payton is the definition of brilliance on defense.

Payton’s nine All-Defensive First Team selections are the most by any point guard in NBA history. Even beyond the point guard position, only Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Michael Jordan have matched his nine nods—a testament to his legendary status.

Payton managed to achieve his reputation as a lockdown defender by maintaining a strong defensive base, developing a powerful core, and getting inside his opponents’ heads.

Ntilikina may never talk trash like Payton, but he has a similar build. He’s already displayed a passion for defense, and with the attention to detail that The Glove placed in his footwork and positioning, the French phenom could follow suit.

It’s unfair to place a Payton-like level of expectations on Ntilikina, but that doesn’t make him any less perfect to study and evaluate.

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