New York Knicks: The potential dynamic of a Mudiay-Ntilikina backcourt
The New York Knicks acquired point guard Emmanuel Mudiay at the 2018 NBA trade deadline. How might he coexist with Frank Ntilikina?
The NBA continues to evolve. More and more teams seek players with a versatile skill set. By adding Emmanuel Mudiay, the New York Knicks are trying to see if pairing him with Frank Ntilikina could, as Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier would put it: “Strive and thrive.”
Everyone in the NBA has a roster spot because there’s an element of their game that does or potentially could benefit the team they’re. The more dynamic the skill set a player possess, the more intrigue he draws.
That’s exactly the case when it comes to 19-year-old Frank Ntilikina and 22-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay.
Both players came into the league with similar characteristics. Scouts raved about their potential to become highly effective two-way players, especially because of their physical tools. Both point guards stand at 6’5″.
In Denver, Mudiay had fallen out of the rotation due to the emergence of Jamal Murray. They were reluctant to let Mudiay go, but on their way to making the playoffs, they felt adding a veteran presence in Devin Harris would provide greater value.
Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders pointed out that, prior to the 2015 draft, Mudiay had his sights set on New York.
No question Emmanuel Mudiay will be excited to relocate to New York. I remember speaking with him during the predraft process. He was hopeful to land in NYC and said he'd have no problem fitting in.
— Moke Hamilton (@MokeHamilton) February 8, 2018
Former Knick Jared Jeffries spoke to Marc Berman of The New York Post. He was the scouting director in Denver when Mudiay was drafted. He emphasized that the trade was more about putting Mudiay in a situation with more opportunity to shine.
Adam Zagoria of SNY spoke to former Knicks head coach Larry Brown. He reaffirmed that change of scenery could be just what Mudiay needs.
Brown was the head coach at Southern Methodist University, to which he recruited Mudiay out of high school.
"“He can be a premier defender, he’s a gym rat, he’s got a high IQ and he’s a great kid. And I think he just wants to be coached and I’m pretty confident they’ll do that.”"
Sounds very similar to how someone might describe Frank Ntilikina.
Brown also expressed his faith and optimism in Knicks general manager Scott Perry. The two know each other from their days in Detroit, when Brown was the head coach and Perry worked in the front office.
"“I’ve always been a Knick fan when he got there. I’m more and more inclined to try to watch and root for him because he’s such a quality guy. And I’m happy for Emmanuel…I’m hopeful this will be a really great situation for him.”"
Ntilikina has shown flashes of brillance. But the inconsistency leaves doubters wondering if he’s capable of making an impact on a nightly basis. To assume he could take the reigns without any hiccups is absurd.
The learning path to becoming a great player is a gradual one without shortcuts.
In a separate article from SNY, Ntilikina sounded optimistic about his new backcourt partner.
"“”We’re going to bring each other to the top to make the Knicks a competitive team. We both can play off the ball, both can play with the ball. It gives us a lot more options.”"
Mudiay can have a good effect on Ntlikina being that he was in his shoes not that long ago. It’s important that the two of them embrace each other rather than approach one another as competition.
This experiment could produce huge dividends by finally giving this team an identity. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has begged all season to push the pace.
A combination of guards who can force turnovers that will lead to a lot of easy transition buckets is what Hornacek must dream of.
The development of this tandem could make life much easier for Porzingis when he returns. Even Tim Hardaway Jr. could find some relief with this acquisition.
Part of his current struggles are because he’s forcing things to happen rather than letting them come naturally. With a more fluid offense, Hardaway would have much easier looks.
Neither one should feel he has to be the orchestrater. Instead, Mudiay and Ntilikina can work in symphony since there isn’t a main focus of the offense for the time being.
Their interchangeability helps them take pressure off one another, knowing that when one is struggling, the other is their to bail them out.
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If the two can bring out the best of each other, they could share a backcourt the likes of which the New York Knicks haven’t see since Walt Frazier and Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe. It should be a fun ride.