Ntilikina already getting stronger
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek knows Frank Ntilikina needs to get stronger next season. But his physical growth has already started.
Hornacek revealed the skinny 6foot-5, 19-year-old Frenchman has put on eight pounds since the start of the season. That development, he believes, has helped him on the offensive side, too.
“You could see some of the things happening to him earlier in the season aren’t necessarily happening now,’’ Hornacek said before the Knicks beat the Heat 122-98 at the Garden on Friday. “That’s great in his development. He’s only going to get bigger and stronger. Our trainers are working with him hard every day to improve on those things.
Being a penetrating force in the lane has been an issue for the rookie lottery pick, who has instead made his name on defense. It led Knicks brass to sign Trey Burke out of the GLeague and trade for Emmanuel Mudiay. In fact, the Knicks are using Ntilikina more off the ball than at point guard since the All-Star break.
Ntilikina isn’t a 3-point demon either and is shooting just 35.6 percent overall and 31.5 percent from 3-point range. His effective field-goal per- centage (factoring in 3s) was a mediocre 40 percent coming into Friday. He had eight points and nine assists in 32 minutes against Miami.
“On offense you got to wedge yourself in there and hold a guy off,’’ Hornacek said regarding why it’s important for Ntilikina to gain even more strength. “If a guy is stronger, they’ll wedge you out of there away from the basket. I’ve seen a great increase in Frank from the start of the year.”
During the All-Star Weekend, Ntilikina said he planned to go back to France this offseason — a comment that raised eyebrows among Knicks staffers. Ntilikina now says he’ll only go briefly. The Knicks want him to play summer league in Las Vegas in July and be around NBA players who get together for recreational games.
“I think he should go back to France a little,’’ Hornacek said. “He left home — his family came up a few times — but it’s a long season.”
Michael Beasley returned to action Friday after missing one game with an illness, but left after the opening minute with a bruised knee.