New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina has been sidelined since January with a groin injury, but the young point guard suggests he is ready to return.
Ntilikina practiced for the first time in a while this week.
“I made a lot of progress during 5-on-5 action,” said Ntilikina, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. “It’s been a while. I need a little more rhythm and intensity practice. I just want to go through another 5-on-5 with me being free with my movement.”
On the season, Frank Ntilikina has played in 41 games and is averaging 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 21.3 minutes of action. He is also shooting 34.2 percent from the floor, 29.1 percent from 3-point range and 75.0 percent from the free-throw line.
While Ntilikina is a very good defender, his lack of progress on the offensive end has been concerning for the Knicks, so much so that New York actually shopped him at the trade deadline.
The 20-year-old was originally selected by the Knicks with the eighth overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
He appeared in 78 contests during his rookie campaign, registering 5.9 points, 2.3 boards and 3.2 assists across 21.9 minutes a night while making 36.4 percent of his field-goal attempts, 31.8 percent of his long-distance tries and 72.1 percent of his foul shots.
As you can see from Ntilikina's rookie year numbers, he has actually regressed a bit this season, which is definitely worrisome. That being said, he is still just in his second year, so there is plenty of time for him to improve.
The Knicks currently own a record of 14-56.
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