Despite some mixed reactions from New York Knicks supporters following the team's performance in last June's draft, it now appears that the side will have at least one thing to look forward to this season. This comes in the form of incoming sophomore guard Frank Ntilikina, who reportedly put on some muscle and grew a few inches taller over the summer.
ESPN Knicks correspondent Ian Begley reported the news on Twitter, and confirmed that we might be looking at a bigger, better version of Ntilikina come the new campaign.
In addition to the added weight, David Fizdale said on Monday that Frank Ntilikina grew roughly 1.5 inches in the past year; he sees lineups where Ntilikina, Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay share the floor together. https://t.co/isWzaynXaX
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 18, 2018
Wikipedia lists Ntilikina at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds. Doing the math, the 20-year-old should now be at 6'6″ or 6'7″ and a shade over 200 pounds. This should work wonders for the very promising youngster, who did look undersized and over-matched at times last season.
After being taken by the Knicks as the eighth overall pick in last year's Draft, it was a rather forgettable rookie season for Ntilikia. He averaged only 5.9 points on 36.4% shooting, 2.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 turnovers in 21.9 minutes off the bench last term.
As stated by Begley, Ntilikina could feature in new head coach David Fizdale's three-guard lineup with Trey Burke and newcomer Emmanuel Mudiay. If it works, this could make for a very exciting and fast-paced lineup for the Knicks.
Although still regarded as an integral part in the team's core, Ntilikina is set to come off the bench in the upcoming season behind backcourt starters Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Follow Us
Subscribe