New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina proves point guard is in his future

For all of the talk about the other point guards on the New York Knicks, it’s still Frank Ntilikina who has the highest ceiling at the position.

Over the course of his rookie season, Frank Ntilikina has received more criticism than praise. Whether fair or foul, that’s the unfortunate reality for a player who’s attempting to find their way as a member of the demanding and often unrealistic New York Knicks.

What Ntilikina continues to prove when he receives the chance to do so, however, is that he is in fact a point guard.

For those who haven’t kept up with the Knicks in 2017-18, Ntilikina was drafted to be a triangle offense point guard. It’s a different role in the sense that said players are tasked more with defending and shooting than handling the ball or facilitating.

With Phil Jackson and the triangle offense out, however, Ntilikina’s true position has consistently been called into question.

The 19-year-old has admittedly performed better when he’s played in an off-ball role in 2017-18. He certainly has the size to do so at 6’5″ with a massive 7’0″ wingspan—measurements that are prototypical for a 2, let alone a point guard.

What’s been lost in translation, however, is that Ntilikina is still the Knicks’ point guard of the future—and he proved why against the Miami Heat.