The New York Knicks are in a transitional year and have started 1-4. David Fizdale is still experimenting his roster to figure out exactly what he has. The team played with the same starting lineup in the first five games of the year, but there are changes coming for Friday's matchup with the Golden State Warriors.
Fizdale announces lineup: Robinson, Vonleh, Dotson, Hardaway and Ntilikina
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) October 26, 2018
Frank Ntilikina running the show is something Knicks fans should be excited to see. The starting lineup in the first five games consisted of Ntilikina, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke, Enes Kanter, and Lance Thomas. Burke ran point while Ntilikina played off the ball.
Ntilikina was drafted as a point guard, and the Knicks would benefit immensely from his length and defense at the position. The 20-year-old Frenchman is developing into an elite perimeter defender — if he's not one already. His long arms and sturdy frame suffocates opposing point guards.
With Ntilikina, it all comes down to whether or not he'll be able to run an offense. He has looked robotic and tense at times on offense. He's not always aggressive enough, and it's still unclear whether or not he can develop into a starting point guard. He definitely can play off the ball as a lockdown perimeter defender.
But this season is all about development for the Knicks, so Fizdale is free to experiment and give different guys opportunities. Mitchell Robinson, Noah Vonleh, and Damyean Dotson are the other youngsters getting a chance to start against the reigning champs, with Burke, Kanter, and Thomas heading to the bench.
This will be the first change to the starting lineup, but it certainly won't be the last.
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