New York Knicks: Players for Frank Ntilikina to study in isolation

Tony Allen

There’s a genuine chance that Frank Ntilikina never makes the desired strides to become a high-quality offensive player. It wouldn’t sit well with some New York Knicks fans, but it’s a possibility that must be evaluated by Ntilikina himself and the franchise as a whole.

If that proves to be the case, then Ntilikina should look no further than one of the greatest defensive players of the last 20 years: Tony Allen.

Allen is widely regarded as the best on-ball defender of his generation. He was praised as such by Kobe Bryant, whom he gave fits during the 2008 NBA Finals, and earned that same acclaim from another all-time great scorer in Kevin Durant.

If Ntilikina wants to double down on becoming the best defensive player he can be, then studying the on-ball and off-ball actions of Allen would be a great move.

Allen mixed smothering on-ball defense with a unique ability to responsibly play the passing lanes. He could also rip the ball right out of an opponent’s hands while avoiding foul trouble, as evidenced by his career averages of 2.3 steals to 2.2 personal fouls per 36 minutes.

Regardless of what the defensive standard is, Allen has all of the traits for a young defensive ace to study. Ntilikina should take this time to do so.