NBA
#8 – Frank Ntilikina – New York Knicks
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
With the futures of both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis somewhat uncertain, the New York Knicks came into the 2017 NBA Draft hoping to find themselves a winner. Now, the once proud franchise will put its faith in the Belgian-born 6-foot-6 point guard, Frank Ntilikina.
Ntilikina saw his draft stock rise dramatically, as the Frenchman showed the instincts that most pro point guards are made of. Playing for SIG Strasbourg of the LNB Pro A, Ntilikina became a household name, despite once being considered a relatively unknown commodity. For the Knicks, he will attempt to become the franchise point guard that the team has always seemingly lacked.
As the Knicks attempt to escape the cellar and return to playoff prominence, Ntilikina may quickly become the face of the franchise, as President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson continues to shop Porzingis.
What has been most eye-opening about Ntilikina is his impressive size. Standing at 6-foot-6, he has legitimate two-guard size, and is believed to have combo guard ability. With a seven-foot wingspan, his impressive reach also allows him to be a capable two-way player. He is also believed to be able to excel playing off of the ball, and with his high basketball IQ, that would seem to make him an ideal fit for the triangle offense that the Knicks are expected to run. For weeks, sources have pegged Ntilikina as the most likely to be selected for the Knicks out of the trio of Malik Monk and Dennis Smith, Jr.
Jackson guessed correctly with Porzingis, even as he fields calls to potentially trade him. Now, with Ntilikina, we will see if lightning has struck twice.
