CLASS IN SESSIONS
Vet PG sees big potentioal in Ntilikina, shows him NBA ropes
Knicks veteran point guard Ramon Sessions is rookie Frank Ntilikina’s mentor and already is raising the stakes on the 19year-old’s potential.
Sessions sees some Kyrie Irving in Ntilikina, the 6foot-5 point guard from France the Knicks drafted with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft.
Signed for the $2.3 million veteran’s minimum in August, Sessions played with Irving when he was a Cavaliers rookie. He also played with a young Johnny Flynn in Minnesota. Flynn turned into a bust.
“It’s funny,’’ Sessions said in his first remarks since signing with the Knicks. “It’s one of those things. I played with Johnny when he was younger. Kyrie when he was young. He’s got a lot of Kyrie tendencies. Not the most athletic guy but can handle the ball in tight spots. It’s still early on, but he definitely gives me that Kyrie feel when Kyrie was a rookie.”
Ntilikina was thrilled to hear Sessions’ comment. A lot of his peers have overlooked the European because they haven’t seen him play in the French league, where his Strasbourg team reached the finals. In a poll of NBA rookies about their colleagues, Ntilikina didn’t garner one vote in any category. Ntilikina also missed the summer league with a knee injury sustained in those finals.
“Kyrie is Kyrie,’’ Ntilikina told The Post. “That’s something. He’s an All-Star, has done crazy things. Hearing that is a blessing. Ramon is here for me. Giving me a lot of advice. I’m learning a lot from him.”
Sessions, 31, missed most of the voluntary workouts as he got to town late. He’s joined by Jarrett Jack in sharing the mentor role. Any one of the trio could wind up starting opening night Oct. 19 against Carmelo Anthony’s Thunder.
“It’s great for the young fella to take all the experience around him,’’ Sessions said.
Coach Jeff Hornacek likes how Ntilikina is accessing the knowledge of the two veteran point guards.
“Frank’s like a sponge,’’ Hornacek said. “He’s asking these guys constantly. I even talked to him today about, hey, when you’re going through stuff don’t just look at it from the pointguard spot, look at it from the two or the three spot. He says, ‘Oh, I’ve already been doing that.’
“What I really like about our point guards is that they’re constantly talking to each other, they’re helping each other out.”
Sessions dealt with the worst season of his career with Charlotte in 2016-17 when his play dipped and ended with knee surgery. He played in just 50 games and has been a backup much of his career. However, at least at the beginning of his Knicke tenure, Sessions could wind up as the starter.
“The opportunity there,’’ he said.
Ntilikina could come off the bench to start the season, then gradually move into the starting lineup. There’s growing pains. During one half-court drill, a wide-open Ntilikina hit the side of the backboard on a jumper from the left corner.
“I think he’s playing with more confidence every day,’’ Hornacek said. “In the beginning, he was probably more tentative which is understandable — 19-year-old kid coming across and playing with these guys that he’s probably seen on TV and now he’s in the middle of it. But now he’s just one of the guys out there playing and he looks good.’’
Indeed, Ntilikina has a good support system with four other Europeans on the squad. And that doesn’t include Joakim Noah, who speaks fluent French and has already grown close to the rookie.
“I’m comfortable with the team on the court and off the court,’’ Ntilikina said. “We have good chemistry. The European players have been through the same thing as me. Joakim was in the NCAAs, but he’s French and can help me.’’
The Knicks brass knew Derrick Rose wasn’t up for the mentor task, his agent telling them as much. When the Knicks recruited Sessions, they made sure he knew Ntilikina was the major focus.
“It’s a situation I’m familiar with in my career,’’ Sessions said. “I’m familiar with the rebuilding stage, having a guard drafted high. Maybe I can come in and bring my veteran leadership, show him the ropes of the NBA.’’