OH, THE PAIN
Fragile French PG takes tumble, turns ankle
Knick rookie Ntilikina, who was hurt in preseason, rolls ankle in practice Friday
Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina notched another injury on his increasingly long list by spraining his ankle at the end of Friday’s practice.
According to reporters at the facility, Ntilkina crumpled to the court in pain and required assistance to get to the trainer’s room.
Despite the scary scene, a source close to the point guard said he just turned his ankle and was feeling much better while undergoing treatment Friday. The Knicks listed Ntilikina as questionable for Saturday’s home opener against the Pistons.
If he misses the game, the Frenchman will have appeared in just two of the 11 contests in the regular season, preseason and Summer League. He has twice suffered knee bruises since being drafted eighth overall as Phil Jackson’s final move as a Knicks executive. Given his slight and wiry build, the recurring injuries have called into question Ntilikina’s longterm durability.
Not that Jeff Hornacek has yet shown an inclination to test Ntilikina in games. During Thursday’s opener, the rookie was third on the point guard depth chart behind Ramon Sessions and Ron Baker.
They all played poorly, although Ntilikina logged only eight minutes. He took two shots — both airballs — and committed a turnover.
“He’s going to be fine,” Jeff Hornacek said. “He’ll start to learn — the passes he’s able to make back in Europe, guys get there quicker now. Guys have longer arms, more athletic. That’s an adjustment period he’ll go through.”
But first Ntilikina will have to get back on the court. Another percolating issue — especially among Knicks fans — is that the point guard the Knicks passed over in the draft, Dennis Smith Jr., has appeared more ready for the NBA.
After being picked among his peers as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, Smith Jr. — who was picked one spot after Ntilikina by the Mavericks — dropped 16 points with 10 assists in his opener.
Knicks forward Michael Beasley, who sprained his ankle just 36 seconds into his Knicks debut Thursday, is also listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. HOWARD SIMMONS/NEWS