Knicks: Analyzing Frank Ntilikina’s stellar FIBA play

New York Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina has shown signs of excellence throughout the FIBA World Cup so far.

During the FIBA World Cup, New York Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina has played some quality basketball, helping France rise to become one of the world’s best.

France is now 4-0 in the tournament so far and has solidified the squad as one of the most serious contenders to win it all on Sept. 15.

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Driven by their defensive paint anchor, Rudy Gobert, as well as some extremely prolific scorers in Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo, the French seem to have it figured out at both ends.

They are working like a well-oiled machine on offense, shooting a remarkable 48.8 percent from behind the arc, while they are second in the tournament in field goal percentage. Their unselfishness clearly stands out to whoever watches a game of theirs.

They also seem to be working as a unit on the defensive end as well, though two-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert may not be the only one bound to receive credit for that.

A very pleasant surprise for the French team has been no other than New York’s very own Ntilikina ,who has quietly been breaking out in China.

During the three first-round games against Germany, Jordan and the Dominican Republic, Ntilikina posted averages of 9.3 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

It may not seem like much to an NBA fan’s eye but keep in mind that international basketball tends to be more slow-paced, resulting in much fewer possessions throughout the game, which by the way lasts 40 minutes instead of the NBA’s 48.

He did all that while shooting 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from behind 3-point territory (yes, you read that correctly). On a typical week with the New York Knicks, Frank could end up making six threes, though it would take a total barrage of 3-pointers.

Ntilikina did struggle during the team’s last exhibition against Lithuania as he got into some early foul trouble, resulting in him only stepping on the court for a total of 13 minutes. Luckily for him, his –more than capable– teammates finished the job by securing the win.

Now let’s move on to the big question; the one that’s been on every New York Knicks fan’s mind since the beggining of this article, let alone the whole tournament.

Why is it that Frank Ntilikina has shown more improvement in one week in China than in two whole years in New York?

Well for starters, New York seems to have given up on him. Actually, they may have acted this way since his rookie season.

• Fact 1: The Knicks drafted Frank with the ninth pick, but chose to start 34 year-old Jarrett Jack instea8.
• Fact 2: The Knicks traded to acquire Emmanuel Mudiay, who also got more playing time
• Fact 3: The Knicks signed Trey Burke even though he has shown that he can’t take “the next step” in his career
• Fact 4: The Knicks traded their franchise player to acquire Dennis Smith Jr., a point guard they could’ve drafted instead of Ntilikina
• Fact 5: The Knicks signed Elfrid Payton as a backup point guard

And there you have it folks. The blueprint to the Knicks’ apparent dismissal of Frank.

https://twitter.com/goknickstape/status/1141809750809751552

Even though one week of basketball does not prove anything, Ntilikina has put the world on notice. His elite defensive prowess turned out to be too much for opposing guards like Dennis Schroder, who he forced to a horrific shooting percentage.

Starting October, head coach David Fizdale must certainly do one thing: find a way to incorporate FIBA Frank Ntilikina into the roster. Ntilikina has been showcasing his incredibly high basketball IQ thus far. It seems like a long time since New York has had a good defender at the point guard spot.

A team as bad as the Knicks in terms of defense (all overall to be honest) could honestly use a guy like Frank, someone to limit the opponents in this guard-driven league we are witnessing.