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

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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 23: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks plays defense against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 23, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Defense

Despite his struggles as a scorer, Frank Ntilikina has been a positive influence throughout the 2017-18 NBA regular season. While his statistics may not jump off the page, there’s a reality that’s been lost in this stat-crazy era of basketball.

A floor general’s job isn’t necessarily to rack up assists; it’s to put the team in the best possible position to execute efficiently on both ends of the floor.

Say what you will about Ntilikina’s pedestrian statistics, but he’s consistently done that when his number has been called. The offense may not always click when he’s on the court, but the defense is already following his lead.

For perspective: The Knicks allow 111.0 points per 100 possessions when Ntilikina isn’t on the court and a team-best 104.5 points per 100 possessions when he is.

The only players with whom New York has a better defensive rating are those who have played less than 400 minutes. That number disqualifies them from the discussion when one considers that Ntilikina has played 1,598 minutes in 2017-18.

In other words: In addition to being an excellent individual defender, Ntilikina is influencing how well the team plays by a full 6.5 points per 100 possessions.

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