Kyrie seen in Ntilikina
GIVEN Frank Ntilikina’s projections as a rangy defensive specialist, nobody has attempted a comparison to Kyrie Irving… except his mentor-to-be Ramon Sessions.
“He’s got a lot of Kyrie tendencies a little bit,” Sessions said Wednesday. “He’s not the most athletic guy but he can handle the ball in tight spots, can finish around the rim. It’s still early on but he definitely gives me that Kyrie feel when Kyrie was a rookie.”
That’s a high expectation considering Irving averaged 18.5 points as the 2012 Rookie of the Year. Sessions was Irving’s backup that season in Cleveland, but may start with the Knicks this season after signing a one-year deal last month.
That contract came with the understanding that Sessions’ most important job is helping develop the Knicks’ eighth overall draft pick.
Such is the state of the rebuilding Knicks: The potential starter was signed to mentor the potential backup.
“It’s a situation I’m familiar with in my career, backing up Jonny Flynn (in Minnesota) as a rookie, having Kemba Walker (in Charlotte) when he was young, having Kyrie when was a rookie,” Sessions, who has started 143 of the 663 games in his journeyman career, said. “With the young fellas, it’s one of those things I’m familiar with the situation, the rebuilding stage, and having a young guard that’s been drafted high. Maybe I can come in and bring my veteran leadership and just kind of show him the ropes of the NBA.”
Despite Sessions’ comparison, Ntilikina’s strengths and weaknesses don’t align with Irving. If anything, they’re opposites.
Ntilikina is more of a playmaker than a scorer, and his freakish wingspan has scouts touting his ceiling on defense. The 19-year-old’s jumper is a work in progress, as evidenced in practice Wednesday when he hit the side of the backboard on a corner 3-point attempt. Still, Ntilikina said the adjustment from the shorter 3-pointer in Europe won’t be an issue.
“To be honest with you, when I was out there in Europe I knew I wanted to be in the NBA so I was practicing (NBA 3-pointers),” he said.
The other adjustments — the travel, the culture, the fitness, the game preparation — can be learned through Sessions and the other point guard on the roster, Jarrett Jack.
“Definitely there was talks about that when they signed me, about bringing in a veteran guy that can help,” Sessions said. “It’s definitely one of those things that we talked about and something that I’m comfortable. It’s something I’ve done at least four times in my career. It’s something I’m comfortable with.”