New York Knicks: Five reasons to love Frank Ntilikina in the starting lineup

The New York Knicks will have Frank Ntilikina in their opening-night starting lineup, and it’s something for fans to like.

Before Wednesday’s season opener against the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks had their starting lineup to publicly confirm. There was no secret on Enes Kanter, Lance Thomas or Tim Hardaway Jr., and Kevin Knox once seemed poised to join them.

However, head coach David Fizdale named Frank Ntilikina a starter over Knox at small forward, while Trey Burke will handle the point guard duties in the first game.

It’s an interesting culmination for Ntilikina’s training camp and preseason, as he was a candidate to start at point guard. Instead, Fizdale will use him in a unique role with undefined variables.

There’s an opportunity for the 20-year-old to grasp, and it’s something for Knicks fans to anticipate as 2018-19 begins.

5. Ntilikina lived up to the team-wide goal

When training camp opened, Fizdale announced an open competition for all spots in the starting lineup. Some players were favorites to earn a position, like Kanter and Hardaway Jr., but others battled their way into the mix or made the necessary impression.

For Ntilikina, it was never clear if he had an inside track at a starting spot, with a battle against Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay for point guard. Not until the final preseason game did it clear up that the Frenchman had a chance at a different position.

Were the odds against Ntilikina? As a former lottery pick and just 20 years old, maybe not. However, he arguably entered training camp as the projected second string at point guard.

Then came everything he did in the preseason, which showcased improvement and enough defensive potential for Fizdale to roll the dice in unexpected fashion.

Kevin Knox’s poor preseason also helped, with 8.8 points on a 32.7 shooting percentage. That opened the door for Ntilikina’s inclusion, since his performance was not too shabby, either.