New York Knicks: Kenny Smith likes the Mudiay, Ntilikina duo

The New York Knicks have two promising point guards in Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina. TNT analyst Kenny Smith likes their dynamic.

The New York Knicks haven’t yet identified the point guard of the future. What general manager Scott Perry has managed to accomplish, however, is the establishment of a rotation that will enable two promising young players to compete for that distinction.

While Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina are both polarizing young players, they’re beginning to garner praise from national media pundits.

Mudiay, 21, and Ntilikina, 19, are 6’5″ point guards with long wingspans and a track record of inconsistent play. That’s a polarizing combination of traits, as both Mudiay and Ntilikina are capable of physical dominance, but have displayed questionable contributions early in their respective careers.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, TNT analyst Kenny Smith thinks Mudiay and Ntilikina should compete to be the starting point guard, but also believes they can play together.

"“I think they feel Mudiay or Frank can move over and play together,” Smith said during All-Star Weekend. “Who’s going to be the starter? You got to fight for that. At times, because of the size of both of them physically [both 6-foot-5], they can play together. When you have a guy like [Kristaps] Porzingis, who is a scorer, and they can facilitate for him to score the basketball, and [Enes] Kanter can score the basketball, those two [point guards] can actually play together.”"

One of the greatest strengths that an NBA franchise can possess is versatility, and the Knicks appear to have it at the point guard position.

Ntilikina stands at 6’5″ and 190 pounds with a 7’0″ wingspan and the established ability to play lockdown defense. Mudiay checks in at 6’5″ and 200 pounds with a 6’9″ wingspan and the handle and athleticism to consistently drive the lane.

Between Mudiay’s penetrating playmaking ability and Ntilikina’s defensive prowess, the Knicks could strike an intriguing balance in the backcourt.

Coupled with quality scoring wing Tim Hardaway Jr., the Knicks’ new dynamic duo could produce intriguing results in the long-term.

Based on Jeff Hornacek‘s experience as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, there’s a growing hope that Mudiay and Ntilikina can share a backcourt. If they plan to emulate the success experienced by Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, however, they must improve their outside shooting.

Mudiay is shooting a career-best 34.5 percent from three-point range in 2017-18, but both he and Ntilikina remain below 35 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

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The question is: Will Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina develop into the players they’re capable of becoming with the New York Knicks?

If they do, the results could be intriguing.