New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina progressing towards starter status
New York Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina is still coming off the bench, but head coach Jeff Hornacek is preparing the rookie for life as a starter.
The New York Knicks have long been the epitome of shortsightedness. Rather than grooming players for future roles, the Knicks jumped at the first sight of potential and went all-in on making said players the foundational pieces of today, despite their not being ready until tomorrow.
Thus, while anxious Knicks fans continue to demand that promising rookie Frank Ntilikina enter the starting lineup, the coaching staff is embracing a new mentality: Patience.
Ntilikina has played at least 27 minutes in each of the past four games, as well as 25-plus minutes in eight of his past 11 appearances. Nevertheless, New York has taken fire from fans who are eager to see Ntilikina replace Jarrett Jack in the starting lineup.
According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, head coach Jeff Hornacek is ramping up the effort to get Ntilikina more playing time.
"“We’re trying to get him some more minutes,” Hornacek said. “It makes it difficult late in games if he’s going well, he ends up playing a lot of minutes. Maybe we need to give him a break here and there.“[In] San Antonio, he was playing a great game. He missed a couple shots late, but other than that, he got us into our offense, he got things going defensively.”"
Hornacek has put his money where his mouth is in that regard, giving Ntilikina his most significant minutes to date in recent games.
Ntilikina’s playing time has gradually improved over the course of the first three months of the 2017-18 NBA regular season. He averaged 15.5 minutes per game in October, 20.0 minutes per game in November, and finished December at 24.2 minutes per appearance.
An odd, but encouraging note: Despite seeing an increase in playing time, Ntilikina’s turnovers per game average decreased from 2.3 in October to 1.9 in November and 1.6 in December.
Not only is Hornacek finding Ntilikina more playing time, but the rookie is developing more confidence in his game as new opportunities are presented to him.
In addition to playing more minutes and committing fewer turnovers, Ntilikina has expanded his shooting range to beyond the arc. After going 8-of-32 from distance between October and November, he shot 12-of-32 from distance in December alone.
During the month of December, Ntilikina improved his scoring output in terms of both volume—a season-high 11.1 points per 36 minutes—and efficiency—a season-high 38.4 percent shooting from the field.
Must Read: Who stepped up against the New Orleans Pelicans?
The New York Knicks are taking a slow and steady approach to developing Frank Ntilikina, but it’s only a matter of time before he’s starting and finishing games.