New York Knicks: Five realistic goals for rest of 2018-19

3. Find Frank Ntilikina’s shooting stroke

Frank Ntilikina entered this season as maybe the New York Knicks’ most intriguing young prospect. 2017-18 showed glimpses of upside, but his offensive production left something to be desired.

This carried into 2018-19, as Ntilikina arguably regressed shooting the basketball. 34.2 percent from the field and 29.1 percent on three-pointers are both down from his rookie season. That’s with multiple scoreless outings and a multi-game benching along the way.

The Frenchman responded with an 18-point night upon return from the pine, but that was the highlight of a season marred by shooting frustrations. Otherwise, he had just five double-digit point games in the other 40 appearances.

With Ntilikina on the roster through April, working to find his shooting stroke should be a goal. Maybe it’s been confidence driven but, for now, he can’t make shots. An opportunity to break out of this seemed apparent, until a groin injury sidelined his chance to start amid Mudiay’s own ailment.

Now, with Dennis Smith Jr. in New York, there are fewer chances for Ntilikina, but is that the worst situation? He’ll have a low-pressure role, potentially off the ball, to hit shots off passes from Mudiay and Smith and try to turn quality defense into offensive prowess.

There’s still a part of Ntilikina’s game to tap into, but if he continues to struggle, it’s realistic to think he hits the trade block this summer.