Ntilikina still must get up to ‘speed’

This has been an adjustment year for Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina, with nothing tougher than getting accustomed to how quickly the bigger, faster NBA players close out on shooters. But after watching the French teenager struggle with his offense, Jeff Hornacek is convinced he can adjust — and having him over the summer would help.

“It’s a different speed,” the Knicks coach said. “When you’re used to playing in Europe or in college or whatever, all of a sudden you’re playing against guys who when you watch them on TV, you don’t necessarily think they’re that big or that quick. The biggest thing with young guys in this league is how quickly things close.

“It looks like you have a gap and you say, ‘OK I’m going through this gap’ and all of a sudden there’s a guy there. That’s stuff you just learn from experience, the speed of the game. … So you make adjustments. The players that survive in this league do. Frank’s a smart guy. We’ve seen how much he’s realized that throughout the season.”

Ntilikina’s offense is a work in progress, averaging just 5.6 points on 35.5 percent shooting.

With Kristaps Porzingis doing his rehab in the city, he only makes occasional cameos at the Knicks training center and has kept up good morale.

“It’s always hard when you have an injury. Dying to be out there, you’ve got to do your rehab stuff — he’s doing it a couple times a day. It’s a tough process to go through. But I think he’s handling it great,” Hornacek said.