The New York Knicks will miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, but rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina believes the team should trust the future.
The New York Knicks have spent the past five seasons searching for a way to return to relevance. It’s been an unrewarding process, as even the slightest slivers of optimism have been met by a discouragingly consistent string of failure both on and off the court.
As the Knicks prepare for the end of another season with upwards of 50 losses, however, a silver lining appears to have revealed itself.
In contrast to previous campaigns, the Knicks have a future to look forward to beyond the current season. It’s no longer just Kristaps Porzingis who resembles a sustainably bright future, but a number of wealth of up-and-coming players.
That includes rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, who’s encouraging fans to trust how bright the future is in New York. Per Ian Begley of ESPN New York:
From earlier: after scoring a career high 17 points in a loss to Cleveland, Frank Ntilikina says, “Trust our future because we might have a really bright future in New York." Ntilikina, who had 6 assists & 5 rebounds, adds that he's ‘thankful' for LeBron James’ recent praise: pic.twitter.com/k2LmhzFaBD
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 10, 2018
It may be rare for Knicks fans to have reasons for optimism, but Ntilikina raises an excellent point about the future of the franchise.
At 22 years of age, Porzingis is already one of the few players in the NBA who can provide 20-plus points per game and elite defense. Prior to his injury, he was averaging 22.7 points and a league-best 2.4 blocks per game, and leading the Association in opponent field goal percentage at the rim.
That resulted in New York’s franchise player receiving his first career All-Star Game selection—likely to be the first of many to come.
What makes the future of the Knicks so encouraging, however, is that Porzingis isn’t alone with his long-term appeal.
Ntilikina is a 19-year-old point guard who’s already defending multiple positions at a high level. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a 26-year-old shooting guard averaging career-highs across the board, including 17.5 points per game.
25-year-old point guard Trey Burke is having a breakout season, 22-year-old point guard Emmanuel Mudiay is a former top-10 draft pick, and 23-year-old shooting guard Damyean Dotson has two-way potential.
Throw in the fact that the Knicks own the rights to every one of their future first-round draft picks and the rebuild has an intriguing measure of depth.
Must Read: Frank Ntilikina flashes star potential
The rebuilding process may not provide instant gratification, but Frank Ntilikina and the New York Knicks have a bright future.