New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina flashes potential against Charlotte Hornets

The New York Knicks dominated the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, Mar. 17. Few players were as impressive as rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina.

Being involved in the New York Knicks community requires some degree of mental training and fortitude. Fans’ emotions run hot and cold without a moment’s notice, with a player going from the GOAT to the goat off of a single performance.

On Saturday, Mar. 17, Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina proved just how important patience truly is with a young player.

Ntilikina has endured his fair share of bumps and bruises during what’s become an unpredictable rookie season. There have been flashes of brilliance on the defensive end of the floor, as well as signs of his promising potential on offense.

All in all, Ntilikina has thrived on defense and struggled to generate offense as a scorer—a combination that has failed to secure steady playing time.

Thankfully, an 82-game season allows a player to work through their inconsistencies. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has provided Ntilikina with more of an opportunity to do so than he’s been given credit for, with The French Prince averaging upwards of 20 minutes per game.

Against the Charlotte Hornets, Ntilikina proved that he’s learning from his early mistakes and becoming a better player because of it.

Ntilikina finished the 124-101 victory over the Charlotte Hornets with a career-high 15 points. He shot 5-of-8 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-5 from the free throw line in what was also his most aggressive scoring performance to date.

Ntilikina added three rebounds, three assists, and a block in 21 minutes, committing just one turnover and one personal foul.

It was a crucial performance from Ntilikina, who hadn’t converted a three-point field goal in any of his previous five appearances. He also broke a two-game streak of being unable to get to the free throw line, which is the ultimate sign of how aggressive he was.

Ntilikina is still learning how to utilize his size to his advantage offensively, but this performance proved just how much of an asset it can be.

Beyond the numbers, Ntilikina seemed to be reacting instead of overthinking on offense. When an opportunity presented itself to either shoot or take the ball to the hole, he got to his spot and went straight into his shot.

That includes a beautiful drive that he took directly off of a loose ball and managed to finish with his left hand over the 7’0″ Frank Kaminsky.

As a distributor, Ntilikina did an excellent job of creating penetration and finding his teammates once the defense collapsed. That’s going to be a crucial element of his game, as his sheer size and mass will force a help defender to respect his drive.

What made his performance possible was the way he was able to look past the first defender.

Ntilikina played with confidence throughout the blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets. He drove with aggression, shot without hesitation, and made the right passes to his teammates when the defense opted to give him the light of day.

On the other end of the floor, Ntilikina continued to display the All-Defense potential that’s endeared him to Knicks fans.

What may have been most intriguing about his performance against Charlotte was the way he shot. He seemed to realize how his size and length benefit him, as defenders who are late on their rotations simply won’t be able to get an adequate contest against his high release point.

Ntilikina even utilized his handle to free himself for a long J and another midrange shot with Kobe-on-the-move form.

Must Read: 2018 NBA Draft prospects who stepped up on Mar. 17

It was only one game, but New York Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina proved what he’s capable of on the offensive end of the floor.