The New York Knicks, after an early summer full of hope, have gotten off to a rocky start in the R.J. Barrett era. Though the 19-year-old Duke product has played quite well to start his career, the rest of the team seems to be a mismatched squad of veterans and youth with no real thought in mind regarding fit or team construct.
With Dennis Smith Jr. and Elfrid Payton both out – Smith Jr. for personal reasons and Payton due to a hamstring issue – Frank Ntilikina started against the Boston Celtics on Friday, which was a tightly contested matchup that the Knicks ended up losing on a Jayson Tatum game-winner.
Now, Knicks Head Coach David Fizdale claims that Ntilikina will get the start once again in the Knicks’ Sunday afternoon game against the Sacramento Kings, per Steve Popper of Newsday Sports:
Asked Fizdale if he would start Frank Ntilikina again tomorrow night vs. Sacramento and De'Aaron Fox: "Absolutely. Frank is really playing good basketball for us. Just really proud of the way that he stayed with it and his confidence in growing every day."
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) November 2, 2019
Ntilikina, stunningly, is the longest-tenured member of the New York Knicks roster after being taken with the no. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft – originally so he could run Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.
Jackson was sent packing soon thereafter, yet Ntilikina has somehow survived all of the front office turmoil and turnover, making him something of an odd duck on the Knicks’ roster. Despite having tremendous defensive talent, offense has never been one of Frankie Smokes’s strong suits, which is never a good sign for a point guard.
However, with a rash of absences in the backcourt, it’s good to see Coach Fizdale expressing confidence in Ntilikina – hopefully leading to the 21-year-old to turn his career around in his third season.
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