FRANK DISCUSSION
BIGGER, STRONGER NTILIKINA HAS LOT TO PROVE IN YEAR 2
NEW AND IMPROVED
Frank Ntilikina came back from France with a new look — new hair, new body.
Flashy blonde streaks are colored into Ntilikina’s hair, coupled with a more chiseled physique than exhibited when the gangly rookie finished up his first NBA season in mid-April.
After spending five weeks in his native France and working out at the Paris sports performance center INSEP, the Knicks’ 19-year-old point guard returned to New York on May 21 and has been arriving at the Tarrytown facility at 9 a.m. each morning.
“I’ve added some weight and muscle,” Ntilikina told The Post on Friday in a phone interview. “I spent a lot of time working on my body in France. I’m getting better and more comfortable with my skills and body. I had the chance to maximize my time and work on my body, which I didn’t have time to do during the season.”
There’s talk Ntilikina, the Knicks’ 2017 lottery pick, has grown at least an inch since the start of his rookie season. In fact, there’s a chance Ntilikina, who turns 20 in October, will be bumped to 6-foot-6 — from 6-5 — in next season’s media guide.
“I may still be growing,” Ntilikina said.
Ntilikina also is working out again with former Knicks developmental coach Chris Brickley at Carmelo Anthony’s gym in Manhattan. The increased strength may help make Ntilikina an even more adept defender than he was as a rookie.
Moreover, the Knicks hope Nti- likina’s new power will make him a more dangerous penetrator. That concern over Ntilikina’s ability to get to the basket prompted Knicks brass to trade for Emmanuel Mudiay at February’s deadline. Now there are rumblings around the NBA the Knicks will take point guard Trae Young at No. 9 if he falls in the draft.
Ntilikina is more concerned with creating a good rapport with new coach David Fizdale, whom he met 11 days ago.
“I talked to Coach on the phone while in France,” Ntilikina said. “Our first meeting was great and came after a workout at the facility. He’s the type of guy that we need. He is going to get us better.”
Last week, Fizdale took Ntilikina, Mudiay and Damyean Dotson to Boston for Game 5 of the Eastern
Conference finals between the Cavaliers and Celtics.
“Going to Boston was great — seeing the game and experiencing the crowd,” Ntilikina said. “Because that’s where we want to go. You learn from a game like that. It’s a different experience live than on TV. [We] constantly talked during the game about almost every play. Coach told us to learn every detail. We watched not just the guards but all the plays, players and mistakes. It was a great experience.”
It was a whirlwind rookie year for Ntilikina, who never experienced the standard pre-draft experience of working out for teams. Amid playing for Strasbourg in the French League finals, Ntilikina flew in the day before for the draft and met only with former Knicks president Phil Jackson.
Ntilikina then was on a flight back to France hours after being selected eighth overall so he could play in the deciding Game 5. Days later, Ntilikina returned to New York to spend the summer, though knee soreness from the French playoff run submarined his summer league action. This spring, he finally got a chance to exhale in Strasbourg and saw his No. 22 jersey retired.
“My time in France was great,” Ntilikina said. “I did a lot of work on my body and my skills there. I had the chance to spend a lot of time where I grew up and with my family, including my newborn nephew. It was an honor to have my jersey retired by the team I watched growing up, my childhood team.
“It was a great experience, but it feels even better to be back at the fa- cility. I’ve come back more motivated and with a lot of energy.”
As a rookie, Ntilikina caught heat because of lackluster offensive stats (5.9 points per game on 36.4 percent shooting in 21.9 minutes). Late in the season, the Knicks experimented with Ntilikina as a shooting guard and he made all nine of his starts there. That could continue.
“It was a very interesting year. I learned a lot and can learn [more] from it,” Ntilikina said. “I’m a guard and can play both positions.”
His blonde hair will work well in Las Vegas, where he will finally play in summer league.
“I have a new hairstyle,’’ Ntilikina said. “No inspiration. Just like to have fun with my hair but not get too crazy. Do it for the summer.”