New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina had a sophomore season to forget in 2018-19.
The 2018-19 season has been a tumultuous one for the New York Knicks. The first season under new head coach David Fizdale has been difficult to watch, as the team looks like it will finish with the most losses in franchise history, resetting the mark from just four years ago in Derek Fisher‘s first season as head coach.
The Knicks came into the season knowing it would be a tough one, as they were looking to build the foundation of their roster. One of the players they were hoping to see a jump in production from was Frank Ntilikina. Unfortunately, that jump never came as the 2018-19 season was a lost season for the second-year combo guard.
The Knicks selected Ntilikina with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The French product was very raw, but had some tantalizing potential.
At 6’6″ with a 7’1″ wingspan, Ntilikina had the length and size to develop into a lockdown defender in the NBA. If he were able to develop his point guard skills, he’d prove to be worthy of his lofty draft position.
In his rookie season, Ntilikina showed he had a long way to go offensively. His shooting line of .364/.318/.721 left a lot to be desired, but at 19 years old, fans were willing to give him some time to develop, especially since he was already showing signs of being a great defender.
According to NBA.com, Ntilikina was a big factor in the team’s success defensively. He registered an offensive rating of 101.3 and a defensive rating of 104.1. While the offensive rating with Ntilikina off the court improved by five points per 100 possessions, the defensive rating decreased by 6.7. The team’s net rating was negative whether Ntilikina was on or off the court, but it was 1.7 worse with him on the bench.
That provided optimism for the fanbase. If Ntilikina could improve on offense, even incrementally, he could have a positive impact on the team. Unfortunately, his production cratered in his second season.
Fizdale decided that he was going to use Ntilikina off the ball more, as he began the season as the starting small forward with Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. occupying the backcourt.
Ntilikina started the first 14 games of the season as Fizdale shuffled things around trying to find a combination that worked. The sophomore showed a little more aggressiveness and confidence when he was shifted over to point guard, putting together strong back-to-back games against the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets.
In those two games, he scored a combined 33 points with six rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block and only three turnovers in 57 minutes on the court.
That production never became consistent, as Ntilikina didn’t score in double figures in back-to-back games again until Dec. 9 and 12 against the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers. The first instance occurred prior to Halloween.
The second occurrence came following Ntilikina’s removal from the rotation altogether. The injury bug then hit, and he was unable to build any momentum once again.
He missed 24 games with a groin injury before returning on March 22 against the Denver Nuggets and enjoying a solid game. While his shooting percentage wasn’t pretty, as he went 1-for-6 from the field, he scored five points with five assists and four rebounds.
That comeback was short-lived, as Ntilikina re-injured his groin in the following game against the Los Angeles Clippers. That ended his season after playing in only 43 games.
Frank Ntilikina re-aggravated his strained groin muscle during the March 24 game vs the Clippers. Subsequently, he was re-evaluated by Knicks medical staff. Following the re-evaluation, the team’s medical staff has recommended that he miss the final two weeks of the season.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) March 29, 2019
This was a disappointing sophomore campaign for Frank Ntilikina, as his numbers dropped across the board. His shooting line dipped to .337/.287/.767, with only 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game — also decreases from his rookie season.
The most concerning thing was that Ntilikina’s defensive numbers dropped. The Knicks’ net rating was the same whether he was on or off the court, as he had an offensive rating of 101.2 and a defensive rating of 110.1. Compared to his rookie season, Ntilikina’s offensive rating dropped by 0.1 but his defensive rating plummeted by 6.0.
That is not what the organization or fans were hoping for. Ntilikina’s regression could be injury-related, but his numbers overall were not encouraging. He’s young enough that there’s still time for him to develop, but he may not be afforded that chance in New York.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the Knicks are planning on shopping Ntilikina this offseason. Doing so with his value so low makes very little sense since the team is unlikely to receive anything of value in return, but it could be part of a bigger plan.
New York has big plans for this offseason, armed with two max contract slots. If the Knicks are successful in filling those two slots, they will need players on the team that do not need the ball in their hands, are willing to play defense and aren’t too expensive.
Frank Ntilikina fits that bill and would most likely see an increase in his production with more talented teammates around him, but after such a disappointing second season, it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll get that chance.