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

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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 19: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Chicago Bulls on March 19, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. Offensive improvement

Frank Ntilikina’s first go-around with the New York Knicks produced quality on the defensive end, but offensively was another story. A 36.4 shooting percentage and just 31.8 percent from three-point range highlighted this in 78 appearances.

In April, basketball appeared to slow down for Ntilikina, who tried to adjust to a new level at just 19 years old. He noted such in training camp, an obvious positive towards his development.

Offensive improvement, at least statistically, started to come forward near the end of 2017-18. Six of his final nine games featured shooting percentages over 40 percent, and back-to-back games against the Cleveland Cavaliers showcased two gaudy lines:

17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block on Apr. 9
16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block on Apr. 11

In the preseason, Ntilikina delivered a 45.2 percent mark from the field for 7.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Nothing out of the ordinary for the most part, but if he can hit a higher percentage of shots in this small forward role consistently, it’s intriguing for his development and how far this team can go.

The question is how much of a run will Ntilikina receive as a starter on a game-to-game basis to showcase offensive improvement?

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