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New York Knicks: Players who must step up in Tim Hardaway Jr.’s absence

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Tim Hardaway Jr #3 of the New York Knicks warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Tim Hardaway Jr #3 of the New York Knicks warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 3: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during game against the Orlando Magic on December 3, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 3: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during game against the Orlando Magic on December 3, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Frank Ntilikina

With Tim Hardaway Jr. out, the distribution of minutes to guards will be far more balanced. That development will task players with contributing in the manners expected of them, whether that be a defensive specialty or a valued offensive skill.

That puts Frank Ntilikina near the top of the list, as he projects to be of great value and importance to the Knicks on both ends of the floor.

With Hardaway out, Ntilikina will likely be asked to defend both guard spots. Hardaway has defended both shooting guards and small forwards in 2017-18, but the absence of a 6’6″ body that can run out on shooters and rotate in front of slashers.

As Ntilikina aims to establish his short-term value and long-term potential, that means the Knicks’ resident defensive specialist will face high expectations.

Offensively, Ntilikina must help overcome Hardaway’s absence by ensuring that ball movement is a consistent strength. Hardaway was one of the Knicks’ few isolation scoring threats, and removing him from the equation entirely means needing to find new ways to execute.

Throw in the fact that Hardaway is second on the Knicks in assists per game, and Ntilikina is a clear candidate to help overcome the injury absence.

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