3 Reasons Why the New York Knicks Should Re-Sign Frank Ntilikina

New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikna’s defense

While the play that comes to mind for many is Trae Young getting past Ntilikina at the end of game 1 in the playoffs, it’s ridiculous to point to that one mistake as a representation of his entire season.

Young averaged 28.8 points per game this postseason while being matched up against First and Second Team All-Defense guards such as Ben Simmons, Jrue Holiday, and Matisse Thybulle so it shouldn’t be the end of the world that he was able to score on Ntilikina for one possession.

The young guard actually posted career highs in defensive rating and defensive box plus/minus this past year, not to mention an impressive average of 2.0 steals per 36 minutes.

He’s able to use his 7-foot wingspan to easily disrupt passing lanes, snatching the ball from defenders and helping push it up the court for a fastbreak opportunity.

In games where Ntilikina played less than 30 seconds and the final score was decided by 10 points or less (situational defense scenarios), the Knicks went 5-1. In fact, that only loss was in game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks.

That 5-1 record doesn’t even include his first three years in the league, where he was already starting to blossom as a defender who could get a stop in a pinch.

Defense has been Ntilikina’s calling card even before he came to the NBA, so it would be foolish for the Knicks to give up on him right as he starts to fill out and realize his potential as an extraordinary stopper.