WHO’S IT GOING TO BE?
FRANKNTILIKINA
Age: 18; Club: Strasbourg (France) Position: Point guard; Height: 6-5
Why the Knicks should draft him
Listen, Phil Jackson tried the Derrick Rose approach. He tried a point guard who didn’t fit the triangle, who preferred the pick-and-roll and only averaged 4.4 assists per game. Whether or not you think that forcing this system on a team is the right move, the undeniable fact is that it won’t work unless you have players who fit and buy in. That’s where Frank Ntilikina comes into focus with the eighth pick. He’s a selfless two-way player who is committed to defense and already played in a system similar to the triangle overseas. He’s not going to rebel or skip any exit meetings. By all accounts, he’s humble and hard-working, a product of a strong mother. The 7-3 wingspan is going to plug lots of holes on defense, assisting the Knicks with their greatest weakness last season: guarding the perimeter. Ntilikina also wasn’t groomed in the AAU circuit, which often lends itself to isolation basketball. We know there’s mutual interest because as soon as Ntilikina landed in New York on Tuesday one of his first stops was meeting with the Knicks. The Knicks need a point guard who can run the system Jackson wants to run, once and for all. No more of this halfway/triangle aspects nonsense.
Why the Knicks should pass
Jackson has two more years on his contract and we all know that the triangle will be sleeping with the fishes when he leaves. So now you want to draft someone based on a system that will be gone when he’s 21 years old? European players are unpredictable, and let’s just say Ntilikina’s stats don’t blow us out of the water: 5.2 points and 1.4 assists in 18.3 minutes last season for Strasbourg IG of the French League. We understand that the youngest players don’t get much burn in Europe regardless of the talent, but that’s not exactly efficient production. And the Knicks — if they get rid of Carmelo Anthony and Rose — are going to need somebody to actually score points. Ntilikina has a lot to prove on that end.
Quotable
“My arms are very long. Defensively I have the mind and the will to dominate the player on offense. And on defense, my arms help me a lot to deny, to make them struggle, so it’s very important for me. I have a body to help me make the offensive player struggle. I also have the will to do it. So it’s like a challenge to me to do it, so defensively I think I just have to develop my body, to go in the weight room and be ready to go against the most physical players. But I think with my skills, I can do it easily.”