Ntilikina admits he’s got to score like Mavs’ Smith
DALLAS — In at least one important aspect of basketball, Frank Ntilikina acknowledges he should be more like Dennis Smith Jr.
That’s not very reassuring to Knicks fans who are lamenting the fact that Phil Jackson passed over Smith Jr. in the draft, but it’s also true: Ntilikina is a passive offensive player, even when the Knicks need him to score.
Smith Jr., on the other hand, is not shy about taking it to the hoop.
“He’s known for his offensive skills. Basically I’m known for my defensive skills,” Ntilikina said. “That part of him being aggressive, that’s always interesting to watch. That’s the part I have to explore in my game. Something I can learn and take (from him), as I said he’s a great player offensively.
“It’s something I have to explore and will explore,” he added. “I want to be the best player I can become in the future. So I just want every part of my game to be the best. That’s the part I have to work on.”
Ntilikina and Smith Jr. enter their first matchup Sunday as very different players, with basically opposite strengths and weaknesses. Ntilikina, in his last four games, is averaging five points and 2.5 assists on 28 percent shooting. With Tim Hardaway Jr. missing the last monthplus with a stress injury, he’s been part of a sputtering offense lacking creativity. More recently, coach Jeff Hornacek has used lineups featuring Ntilikina with another point guard — whether it’s Ron Baker or Jarrett Jack — to alleviate some of the rookie’s ball-handling duties. Scouts have said Ntilikina projects better as an off-guard operating without the ball.
But offense is only half the game. Ntilikina’s real potential is as a top-level defender.
“They’re definitely two different types of players. Dennis, with the pick-and-rolls, he’s going to have stats,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Frank, a little more defensively, it’s hard to measure those
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things. I’m sure everyone will always compare points, but there are a lot of other things that go into it.”
Smith Jr. is averaging 17.3 points and 4.5 assists on 46 percent shooting in his last four games. He’s an explosive offensive force but still has to prove he can be a winning player. During his lone season at NC State, the Wolfpack finished with a disappointing losing record. Now that he’s a starting point guard in the NBA, his Mavericks are just 13-27.
His defense is also suspect, to the point that Dallas coach Rick Carlisle singled him out Friday after the Mavericks gave up 47 points in the fourth quarter against the Bulls.
“They’re picking on Dennis,” Carlisle said. “They’re going at him.”
The Knicks contemplated drafting Smith Jr. and Hornacek recalled his dinner with the prospect fondly — “he was a kid who was bigger than I thought he was,” the coach said. But the Knicks went for Ntilikina, and the two will be forever linked.
It probably wasn’t a coincidence Saturday that Ntilikina stayed after practice for extra work, a day before his first matchup against a natural — even if opposite — rival.
“He’s a good player,” Ntilikina said. “He’s pretty athletic for his size. It’s an advantage because he can jump to the rim and finish like some other point guards can do. He’s pretty fast, can shoot the ball. He’s very talented.”