9. Frank Ntilikina, New York Knicks
Last rank: N/A
New York Knicks rookie point man Frank Ntilikina is another new face in this week’s Rookie of the Year ladder. Ntilikina played a big role in the Knicks’ victory over fellow rookie Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
He put up just the third double-figure scoring game of his young career, scoring 13 points in the 113-109 victory. The rookie out of France was 5-of-11 from the floor and 3-for-4 from 3-point range in the game.
Ntilikina also had five rebounds and five assists, using the abilities of Kristaps Porzingis to his advantage. Porzingis had 37 points himself in the game, a game-high, but Ntilikina stepped up in a big way and it showed in the final result.
Ntilikina is averaging 8.5 points, 5.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in New York’s previous four games. They have a 3-1 record in the same span. He’s starting to figure out his role in the rotation and it’s largely paid off for both parties. The Knicks are on a three-game winning streak after all.