New York Knicks: Five reasons to exercise Frank Ntilikina’s team option

4. 2018-19 was not a significant sample size

Sure, Frank Ntilikina’s 2018-19 season was disparaging. He opened with a starting spot, but lost it in November, after the disappointing offensive play that resulted in multiple benchings by head coach David Fizdale. He finished the year with 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 33.7 percent shooting and 28.7 percent on three-pointers.

These numbers sunk Ntilikina to the bottom of the roster within weeks. His play was not indicative of a young player with upside, but someone at the end of a team’s bench. However, at just 43 games, some of which were played when an injury suffered or in limited time, he did not receive enough of a sample size to grow as a second-year player.

Ntilikina struggled to receive a fair shake after his first bench, which featured three games in Fizdale’s doghouse. A one-game stint followed, and the groin injury, that sapped the 6-foot-6 guard’s season, arrived weeks later.

After Jan. 27, Ntilikina played just two games. He never had the chance to stand out on the post-Kristaps Porzingis roster, which opened opportunities for players like Damyean Dotson, Dennis Smith Jr. and Allonzo Trier. Emmanuel Mudiay missing time with an injury was supposed to be Ntilikina’s gift to consuming playing time, but the groin ailment arose in just the second game of his starting-lineup return.

From this and Ntilikina’s rookie season, there are just 121 games to evaluate. That is hardly anything, and the New York Knicks can use another 164 games to decide if this is a player for their future.