New York Knicks: Five reasons to love the Jarrett Jack signing

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BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 2: Jarrett Jack #2 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against the Boston Celtics on January 2, 2016 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Competition Breeds Excellence

Frank Ntilikina isn’t going to be a superstar overnight, but that doesn’t mean the New York Knicks shouldn’t be pushing him early in his career. Thankfully, the same strategy that will help bring Ntilikina along in a gradual manner is one that will push him to improve.

With Ron Baker, Jarrett Jack, Chasson Randle, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and Ramon Sessions joining Ntilikina in the fight for minutes at point guard, the competition in training camp could breed excellence.

The Knicks have six players competing for time at point guard, and only Baker is expected to see significant minutes at the 2. Thus, whoever emerges victorious in the race for minutes is likely to have outworked the players around them.

That may not necessarily mean that the starter will be a star-caliber contributor, or even a high-quality point guard, but it will send a necessary message to the younger players: Hard work pays off.

If Ntilikina earns the starting role, he’ll do so by outworking veterans who are hungry to prove they still belong, and young players looking to achieve job security. If he fails to, it will be a learning moment for the incoming rookie that name value only counts for so much.

No player is guaranteed to respond in the manner one might hope they will, but it’s a safe bet that Ntilikina will have to earn his keep under head coach Jeff Hornacek.

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The signing of Jarrett Jack may or may not move the needle, but it will help the New York Knicks build a stronger team moving forward.