New York Knicks: Who stepped up against the Houston Rockets?

Frank Ntilikina

As is the case for most rookies, Frank Ntilikina is still struggling to find his range as a scorer. In what can only be described as a rare exception to the rule, however, Ntilikina is already looking the part of a quality defender at the NBA level.

Matched up against 2016-17 MVP runner-up James Harden for extended periods of the game, Ntilikina looked the part of a future two-way star.

Over the course of his 24 minutes of playing time, Ntilikina recorded two points, eight assists, one rebound, and five steals. He was legitimately dominant in the passing lanes, going as far as breaking up seemingly guaranteed looks in transition.

Ntilikina also picked Harden’s pocket, which was yet another example of how being a 6’5″ point guard with a 7’0″ wingspan can help on defense.

Offensively, Ntilikina overcame an early string of turnovers to create for his teammates at a borderline elite level. His eight assists set a new career-high, surpassing the five that he dished out against the Brooklyn Nets in 23 minutes.

For what it’s worth: Ntilikina now has 10 steals over the course of the past four games—during which he’s played an average of just 19.8 minutes.

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