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New York Knicks: Who stood out during preseason opener?

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 3: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the preseason game on October 3, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 3: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the preseason game on October 3, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 3: Ramon Sessions #1 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the preseason game on October 3, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 3: Ramon Sessions #1 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the preseason game on October 3, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Ramon Sessions

Ramon Sessions received limited playing time, but he made the most of his opportunities. He was named the starter for the preseason opener, and from the opening tip, he helped the New York Knicks establish a blistering pace on offense.

Frank Ntilikina is the future at the point guard position, but the 31-year-old Sessions looked like he still has a great deal of talent left in the tank.

Despite playing just 12 total minutes, Sessions picked up four points, five assists, two rebounds, and a steal. His passing set the tone early, as he found the right players in the right spots, and thus helped New York put up a 33-point first quarter.

It was an early confirmation of head coach Jeff Hornacek’s belief that a veteran like Sessions can help stabilize the efforts of a generally young team.

Sessions struggled in 2016-17, but it was a surprising down year for a player who has been steadily productive throughout his nine NBA seasons. Against Brooklyn, Sessions looked less like he did in 2016-17 and more like his 2015-16 form, when he helped the Washington Wizards reach the playoffs.

Sessions still has solid competition at the point guard position with Ron Baker, Jarrett Jack, and Ntilikina, but his first performance in the orange and blue was compelling.

Must Read: Ranking the Top 10 players on the 2017-18 roster

The question is: Can the New York Knicks turn this individual intrigue into team-wide success come the 2017-18 NBA regular season?

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