THE YOUNG & CLUELESS
SCOUTS BREAK DOWN WHAT’S WRONG WITH KNICKS’ NTILIKINA AND KNOX
If the Knicks’ last two lottery picks were stocks, they’d be plummeting. It’s been an inglorious November for 2017 firstround selection Frank Ntilikina and 2018 first-rounder Kevin Knox. Ntilikina was selected eighth, Knox ninth, but neither has come close to playing up to that status, leaving league personnel, including some coaches, less than glowing in their assessments.
Knox was depicted as settling too fast for 3-point shots and refusing to move the ball. Ntilikina was cited for not having the wherewithal to play point guard and one person even called the Frenchman an overrated defender. The word “soft’’ was used to describe both potential linchpins to the Knicks’ future.
However, one team executive told The Post about Knox, 19, and Ntilikina, 20: “A lot of teams are abiding by ‘Trust the Process.’ It’s best to be patient on both guys.’’
Knox is widely considered the better prospect, but some alarming traits have emerged. In fairness to the 6-foot-9 rookie from Kentucky, his body of work is based on 16 games; he missed seven contests with a sprained ankle.
Still, he went from Las Vegas summer-league sensation to a regular-season bricklayer (32.5 percent shooting, 7.5 ppg). He shot 32.7 percent in preseason.
“I don’t like how he’s playing,’’ an Atlantic Division scout said. “He’s looking for his shot right away. I like when he puts the ball on the ground. He’s a big boy, but he’s capable of getting closer to the basket than launching 3-pointers. He’s also got to wake up a little. There’s loose balls he can get to. He’s lazy on defense a bit.”
One assistant coach echoed the sentiment.
“Sometimes he looks like he doesn’t want to play. The evaluations coming out of Kentucky were not all good — that he didn’t have a motor and plays too soft. It’s not easy to teach that now. He doesn’t pass and only looks to shoot — not create. He’s shooting on like 80 percent of his touches.”
There was a glimmer of hope Wednesday in the blowout in Philadelphia. In the fourth quarter, Knox made a tough driving shot that had coach David Fizdale doing a sideline jig.
“People probably think I’m crazy because I celebrated down 30,’’ Fizdale said. “I saw something we’ve been working on carry over. He did a spin move and came out of it with a nice jump hook. We’ve been talking about doing that more and not just throwing it up offbalance. One baby step of player development.”
An Eastern Conference scout thinks Knox acts younger than his age.
“He’s talented, but some bad habits are ingrained from the AAU scene,’’ the scout said. “But he’ll be really good in two, three years with work and buying into a system. He’s 19 now going on 17.”
Added a different Eastern Conference scout, “He just seems like all he wants to do is shoot.’’
That’s polar opposite to Ntilikina, scoreless the past two games in shooting a combined 0-for-8 in Detroit and Philadelphia.
Ntilikina was removed as the starting point guard nine games ago, in favor of Emmanuel Mudiay, and comes off the bench but plays off the ball. Fizdale and team brass are agonizing over whether he’s a point guard or wing. General manager Scott Perry was not with the Knicks when Phil
Jackson drafted Ntilikina and Perry has added two point guards since his arrival — Mudiay and Trey Burke.
“They gave him enough chances,’’ the Atlantic Division scout said. “The kid is very unaggressive and soft — no instincts to play point guard. He can make the pocket pass if it’s there, but sometimes it’s stolen. He’s playing horribly right now. I actually feel bad for the kid.”
Said the Eastern Conference scout, “He has no offensive strength and really doesn’t have a position. He looks like he has the potential to be a good backup, but never a starter on a good team.”
Ntilikina hasn’t reached double figures in 11 straight games. His scoring average is 5.9 points after he logged, coincidentally, 5.9 ppg in his rookie season. His career shooting percentage is .357.
Ntilikina struck back at his critics, saying he does add offensive value.
“[I make] the easy play, getting teammates involved,’’ Ntilikina said. “It’s not always about scoring. I’m going to do what I do to bring the most to the team. If I’m not scoring, I’ll try to do something else.”
There’s intangibles the 6-6 Ntilikina brings on the defensive end, but the Atlantic scout believes those are overstated.
“When he got in the [76ers] game, he was embarrassed by [JJ] Redick,’’ he said. “Redick got loose for two jumpers and then they put him on [T.J.] McConnell and he drove around him. Other scouts tell me he’s a great defender. I don’t see a great defender. He can be disruptive with length, but he’s slow to react. He’s a bet- ter than average defender but I think his conf i dence is shot on offense. His passes aren’t doing anything.’’
Tim Shea, a former European scout with the Knicks and Hornets and now an NBA consultant, said it’s too early and Ntilikina needs to get credit for doing some subtler things.
“Ultimately [he] wants to make the right play,’’ Shea said. “The value of having someone like that on your NBA roster is immeasurable on the positive side of the team ledger. It’s contagious to the rest. Every time a player sees him do this, it’s a signal to the others. Coach is smart to keep him out there. He never was a shooter in his short pro career but he never looked [to shoot] too much either. Patience is the key with him.’’
Regarding scoring, Ntilikina said, “It’s my next step to my growth. I know what I can be a couple of years from now. This is required for me to be aggressive and stay confident. It’s going to be all right. Story of the NBA and story of the young players coming in.’’
The Knicks passed on rookie of the year Donovan Mitchell and Dennis Smith Jr. and opted for Ntilikina. They passed on Mikal and Miles Bridges for Knox.
“The way Kevin’s playing, they could’ve taken either Bridges to shoot those 3s,’’ the Atlantic scout said.