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New York Knicks: Players who need more playing time

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 10: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks calls out the play in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2018 in New York City.The Chicago Bulls defeated the New York Knicks 122-119 in double overtime. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 10: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks calls out the play in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2018 in New York City.The Chicago Bulls defeated the New York Knicks 122-119 in double overtime. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 6: Enes Kanter #00 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 6, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 6: Enes Kanter #00 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 6, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Enes Kanter

Position: Center
Age: 25 (5/20/1992)
Slash Line: .605/.000/.873
Season Averages: 25.8 MPG, 14.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.6 ORPG, 1.5 APG

Enes Kanter is already a starter, but with Kristaps Porzingis out, it’s time to give him minutes that reflect his role. Kanter will be an unrestricted free agent in July, and the New York Knicks need to determine if he’s worth the salary he’s likely to command.

By trusting Kanter to lead the offense and improve on defense, the Knicks can challenge him in a way that reveals who he truly is on the court.

Kanter has become a fan favorite in 2017-18, and for good reason. The 25-year-old has been a physically dominant force in the low post, as well as an elite rebounder on both ends of the floor—see: top 10 rankings in both offensive and defensive rebound percentage

The issue with Kanter has been his inconsistency on defense, however, which is why he needs his playing time increased during rebuild mode.

If Kanter is going to establish himself as the long-term answer at center, then he’ll need to step up on defense. That means occasionally sacrificing rebounds for stops, primarily against the stretch bigs whom he’s too often left open.

Kanter is one of the most productive big men in the NBA, but he needs to prove that his numbers have substance during the final two months of the season.

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