New York Knicks: Who stepped up in road win against Hawks?

Frank Ntilikina

Stat Line: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5-for-10 shooting, 2-for-4 on three-pointers

Frank Ntilikina‘s struggles from the previous four games were well documented. Despite showing offensive improvement to open the season, he went 0-for-13 on three-point attempts and flashed 0 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists versus Chicago.

Well, without much hesitation against the Hawks, Ntilikina hit his shots. The 5-for-10 mark was his highest since the Oct. 26 loss to the Golden State Warriors when he hit 6 of 11.

The Frenchman found the glass and continued to distribute the ball well, which he stayed true to in the drought; he had 20 assists over those four games.

Defense was without issue, as well. Ntilikina locked down Trae Young for the majority of the game, limiting him to just 6-for-19 shooting, 1-for-7 from three-point range and 15 points. He didn’t come to the forefront until the second-year man exited the game.

It’s of course no guarantee Ntilikina has a hot streak and puts this poor run in the rearview mirror in consecutive games. He’s still a young player trying to adjust to the NBA, and while the results have trended up at times from 2017-18, his game is still a work in progress.

While Ntilikina irons this out, there’s no risk of him moving from the starting lineup. Burke lost his backup role to Emmanuel Mudiay, who might be New York Knicks’ best passer and looked sharp shooting for the second consecutive game.

Mudiay received a start in the preseason and didn’t flourish, and he struggled after the February 2018 trade to separate himself. It happened under a different coach, but his track record doesn’t provide a case to re-enter the starting five.

Will that change? Let’s see what transpires as Mudiay grounds himself in the rotation for the New York Knicks.