In time, Frank must be starter
This is the Knicks team we are expecting to see for most of the season: unorganized defensively, not executing properly and outclassed by a contending team with a bona fide superstar.
Why couldn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers do what the Houston Rockets did to the Knicks? Well, the Cavs are so out of whack right now that LeBron James and company got blown out at home — again — by the Indiana Pacers. That’s four straight losses at the hands of the Pelicans, Nets, Knicks and Pacers.
So until further notice, the Knicks can’t even count Sunday’s win at Cleveland as a quality victory.
That win, however, did get the Knicks back to .500 and being the very definition of mediocre was an accomplishment considering the Knicks started out 0-3. But on Wednesday, the Houston Rockets and James Harden brought the Knicks back to earth and to a losing record. Harden, who finished second in the MVP voting last season, had 31 points after three quarters as Houston built a 29-point lead and held on for a 11997 victory.
“They’re not even at their peak and they’re a dangerous team,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said after the Knicks fell to 3-4.
The Rockets (6-3), coming off Monday’s home loss to Philadelphia, were missing Chris Paul, who will be sidelined at least another two weeks with knee soreness. When Paul eventually returns, it will be up to Mike D’Antoni, a brilliant offensive coach, to make the Rockets run effectively with two ball-dominant guards sharing the same backcourt. D’Antoni, Harden and Paul are all smart enough to make it work.
Jeff Hornacek’s strength is on the offensive end as well, and his challenge in the backcourt is vastly different. The Knicks roster lacks a point guard in the class of Harden or Paul, but it does feature a promising rookie. Therefore the challenge for Hornacek is deciding when to promote Frank Ntilikina into the starting lineup and go all-in on rebuilding with Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, Damyean Dotson and especially the French point guard.
“He’s good and long,” Mike D’Antoni said. “They have something with him and Porzingis.”
But the time to start Ntilikina wasn’t Wednesday. Not with Harden, the master of the crossover dribble and head fakes, in the building. That’s a player who could rattle a 19-year-old’s confidence at this time of year. When the two teams meet again on Nov. 25 in Houston, it still may not be the right time, but at some point this season the Knicks have to commit to Ntilikina and live through the growing pains.
There are so many encouraging things about Ntilikina. He sees the floor well, he’s constantly moving and he’s a willing defender. Those long arms twice slapped the ball free from Harden in the second half. But Harden also pump faked Ntilikina off his feet, drawing a foul as he was shooting a three.
“I think I could have done a better job of stopping him and I’ll definitely work to stop players like that in the future,” Ntilikina said.
“I think I learned a lot of from this game. Now I’m mad because I’m hard on myself and I saw (Harden) score 30-plus points so kind of disappointed. Now I’ll just watch the film and work on my abilities.
Ntilikina played 26 minutes and recorded eight assists. He also missed six of the seven shots he attempted. He is shooting just 9 for 30 and that has to get better or else defenders will take two steps back and dare the rookie to shoot. His defense is way ahead of his jump shot.
But that’s all part of the learning process. Ntilikina is going to excite you one moment and then make you roll your eyes the next moment. That’s why for Hornacek, the timing has to be right. When the Knicks got off to an 0-3 start, there were questions about Hornacek’s job security. So while everyone — fans, media and the front office — says they’ll support a rebuilding team, all those losses go on Hornacek’s record. He’ll also be the convenient scapegoat.
Ntilikina has made it easy on Hornacek because he didn’t play in the summer league and missed most of the preseason with a sore knee. He certainly didn’t deserve to start from Day One. Plus, Jarrett Jack is a decent caretaker at the position — a reliable veteran and a good mentor for the rookie.
And once the Knicks got their first victory last week, followed by wins over Cleveland and Denver, Hornacek wasn’t about to mess with a winning streak. The idea, especially early on, should be to win. But at some point, the Knicks need to support their marketing campaign of rebuilding with action. And that means starting Ntilikina.
Not now. But soon.