It’s been a couple up-and-down seasons for point guard Frank Ntilikina in New York. Some sources seem to indicate the front office may be looking to let him go this summer.
Frank Ntilikina has been, at best, a middling NBA player for the past four seasons, but it’s important to delineate where exactly he came from in order to understand the Knicks’ potential actions regarding him this summer.
Born near Bruxelles, Belgium, to Rwandan parents, Ntilikina’s family moved to Strasbourg, France, when Frank was just three years old. Following this move, he would begin playing organized basketball, and at 15 years of age, he signed for local professional club Strasbourg IG.
In 2016, Ntilikina became one of the many high-profile international prospects to attend the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program, whose alumni that year included the likes of DeAndre Ayton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Rui Hachimura. Oh, and Thon Maker was there, too.
Eagle-eyed readers may have already found a young Ntilikina in the center second row; to his right, future Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and right behind him, NBA legend Yao Ming. (Courtesy of SLAM Magazine)
Ntilikina thoroughly impressed scouts ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft, cementing himself as lottery-bound. Heeding attention from teams such as the Knicks and the Mavericks, New York would eventually select him eighth overall.
Like teammate Kristaps Porziņģis, the rookie Ntilikina received a stereotypically rocky welcome from Knicks fans. Despite being a teenager at the time, he almost immediately attained the bust label from armchair analysts across the country. Shooting splits of just 36% from the field and 32% from deep were laughable to say the least, but his defense and passing were both bright spots from the outset. Ntilikina would average almost a steal a game in around 20 minutes—a product of his long arms and defensive IQ.
However, Ntilikina’s development seemed to plateau after his first season in the league. His jumpshot remained streaky, and he continued to appear timid and unaggressive on the court. Eventually, Fizdale would bench him for veteran Elfrid Payton.
With free agency looming in 2021, what are the chances that Frank’s fairytale nightmare in the Big Apple ends this offseason?
(Courtesy of Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images)
This season, even under the defensive-minded Thibodeau, Ntilikina played in just 33 games, averaging just 3.0 points per game. Indeed, New York appears all but ready to give up on the 22-year-old. With the 19th and 21st picks in the draft, the Knicks are right in the range to draft a sneakily good guard. All this being said, is it finally time for the front office to let Frank walk?
Here’s the elephant in the room: it’s unfair to judge Ntilikina based on his numbers alone. He provides remarkable intensity on defense as the lead guard, and his unselfish style of play perfectly suits scorers like R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle. In addition, he’s still crazy young. Even in 2017, his status as a “project” seemed quite clear—would it hurt to just let him develop for several more years in a winning environment?
This summer, New York has the cap space to get another superstar-caliber player and still make room for a bag of chips and an iced tea on top. There’s no doubt that the Knicks have the money to fulfill Ntilikina’s $7 million qualifying offer.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Thibodeau loves his play style. Ignoring his offensive shortcomings, Ntilikina is an defensive stud locking up the likes of Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell. On the other end, he provides steady, unselfish playmaking and improving self-confidence. Even at this stage of his career, he seems like a perfectly “Thibodeau” point guard.
With the Coach of the Year on his side, and the old nagging hope that he’ll be a star one day, Ntilikina may just be too much to pass on for New York’s front office this summer.
Firstly, New York’s point guard rotation is an outright mess. With Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Elfrid Payton and Ntilikina all getting significant minutes at point guard this season, New York is yet to find their floor general of the future. As covered before, one of the Knicks’ priorities this summer will be shopping for a long-term option at the one. Ntilikina doesn’t appear to be part of the plan moving forward.
Ntilikina may be one of the first sacrificial lambs for New York should the front office look to sign a big-name free agent like Chris Paul or Lonzo Ball, and he may be cast to the wayside if a trade is made for a backcourt superstar like Damian Lillard.
Indeed, while the team has the cap space to re-sign him comfortably, the question is, rather, should they? No matter the context, $7 million is a steep price to pay for a guy who averages four points a game on dubious efficiency.
All those reasons being said, the decision to keep or let go of Frank Ntilikina will be a matter of franchise direction for the Knicks. Assuming they go into “win now” mode (which they most definitely shouldn’t), they’ll look to send him off wherever the sun shines brightest, but if the front office remains as patient with the young guard as they have been since he was drafted, it’s not an inconceivability that The French Prince will be here to rule another day.
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