2017 NBA Draft Preview
A Foreign Affair with France: Frank Ntilikina
Phil Jackson has entered European soil before with Porzingis and Hernangómez: might he do it again with Ntilikina?
In recent years, international prospects have panned out well for the Knicks. Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangómez should be two of their central building blocks for years to come. Knicks president Phil Jackson has shown before that he isn’t bashful when it comes to thinking outside of the box during the NBA draft. Frank Ntilikina (pronounced Nee-lee-KEE-na) is next in the long line of international prospects that doesn’t have a ton of information or film swirling around him to help us form a solid opinion about his pro potential.
Born in Ixelles, Belgium, before growing up in Strasbourg, Germany, Ntilikina is well-traveled, playing professional basketball in the Pro-A league, the top league in France. The 6'5", 190-pound point guard isn’t exactly lighting up the Pro-A league either. Per my rough French translation via the official Pro-A league website, Ntilikina is only averaging roughly 5.1 points per game in 32 games this season. He’s also only averaging about 18 minutes per game. This is something to note, as it appears a bit strange to catapult a rotational player in the French league to a potential NBA Draft lottery selection. However, as we’ve seen time and time again with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Dennis Schröder, and even Kristaps Porzingis, production in European leagues isn’t essential to a smooth transition to the NBA.
After pulling a #typicalKnicks move and dropping down to the 8th slot before being projected to pick in the 7th spot, the Knicks may be dealing with slim pickings at the guard position. Barring any miracles, Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and De’Aaron Fox, the top three point guard prospects in this year’s draft, will almost definitely be gone by the time the Knicks make their selection. The last time the Knicks “fell” in a draft, they ended up with Kristaps Porzingis. I’m just saying.
There are some traits to Ntilikina’s game that will most definitely translate to the NBA, but selecting him in the lottery would be a gamble, something Phil Jackson has shown he’s not afraid to do.
Strengths
Size: One of the first things you notice about Ntilikina on the court is his size. Standing at roughly 6'5" with a reported massive 7'0" wingspan, he’s tall and lengthy enough to play both guard positions — more on this later.
Defensive Potential: Ntilikina’s biggest impact could be on the defensive side of the ball in his first NBA season. While Frank is still only 18 and filling into his frame, he’s already got the length and burst needed to be a lockdown perimeter defender. At 6'5", he’s tall enough to guard both point guards, shooting guards, and even small forwards, making him versatile enough to hide the potential defensive inefficiencies of his backcourt teammates. In the highlight below, you’ll see Ntilikina use perfect time and acceleration to read the passing lanes and step in for the steal:
Ntilikina’s lateral quickness enables him to be an absolute pest on the perimeter and smother his opponents. Below you’ll see him adjust past a screen, then stick with his assignment with the occasional swipe at the ball, causing a forced shot. He’s also got the awareness to keep his arms raised as the shot clock winds down:
As long as Ntilikina continues to give this sort of effort on defense, he could be a defensive specialist immediately while he works on becoming more consistent on offense.
Improving on offensive side: Ntilikina is far from being as polished on the offensive end as Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, but he’s made significant strides to improve his shooting. Generally, when there is limited information about a prospect, there tends to be a stereotype where he is an “explosive athlete” and a “poor shooter.” I think that’s exactly what has happened with Frank, even though it doesn’t match his improvements made on offense. This year, he’s shooting 48 percent from the field, 43 percent from the perimeter, a vast improvement from last season’s 35 percent from the field and 30 percent from the perimeter (via Basketball-Reference).
During the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, Ntilikina began to show off his potential on the offensive end: “After scoring only 7.3 points per game through the first three contests, Ntilikina finished the tournament averaging 22.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.2 steals, 1.7 blocks and 5.0 turnovers per 40 minutes on 42.4 percent from two-point range and 58.6 percent from three-point range,” per Draft Express.
Weaknesses
Production: For most early draft picks, potential is the most attractive characteristic. That’s exactly what you’re hoping for if you draft Ntilikina — his massive potential, rather than his past production. Ntilikina is a gamble, considering that he’s a reserve player logging just 15–18 minutes a game, while averaging a measly five points per game. It’s a little worrying that he wasn’t able to crack the starting lineup — I’m not sure if this was done by design to bring him off the bench or if it was purely from a skill standpoint, but it’d be nice to see him make performances like the one he had during the 2016 FIBA Championship the rule rather than the exception.
Aggressiveness: Ntilikina isn’t going to “wow” you with a poster dunk in transition or stand on any tables to pump up the crowd. At times he seems a bit quiet, timid even, and I’m not sure how congruent this sort of personality will fit with playing point guard in the NBA, let alone in front of New York fans. He doesn’t appear to have the type of personality to take over a game, making him unlikely to ever be the number one option on offense. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you have the appropriate pieces around him. It doesn’t seem like Ntilikina has that next level gear either, as he plays at one speed with limited burst. Below you’ll see Ntilikina draw the assignment of a much larger opponent after the pick and roll, and he doesn’t have the speed or instinct to blow by the defender to get to the bucket. He ends up settling for an off-balance fadeaway, which won’t fly in the NBA:
You’ll also notice how loose Ntilikina is with the ball as he struggles with his handle without anyone smothering him. He’ll really need to work on tightening his handle to become a strong lead guard in the Association.
Ball security: As I just mentioned, Ntilikina’s ball handling/ball security needs major work before he encounters NBA-level defenders. His lack of top-end speed makes him a bit of a liability getting into the paint, but his away-from-the-body dribbling makes it even more difficult for him to do anything inside of the paint. He’s got room to improve his high and away dribbling, per DraftExpress, because he averaged 4.8 turnovers per-4o minutes during the FIBA U18 Championship. If he doesn’t fix this, he’ll be severely limited on the offensive end in the NBA. You’ll see an example of his sloppy handling below as he tries to get a bit too fancy with a few crossovers before losing control:
How He Fits With The Knicks
As I mentioned, with Ntilikina’s size being one of his strengths, the ability to be somewhat of a combo guard is important to run the Triangle offense effectively. Ntilikina’s size and play style should sync well with the pick-and-roll plus Triangle offense, which presumably will be the offense the Knicks run next season. Here’s what ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla had to say about Ntilikina’s potential fit in the Triangle offense:
“And what I love about him — and by the way, I think he’s going to be able to show you — I hate to say this because I’m not a fan of the triangle, I think in the modern NBA the spacing doesn’t work as well as it did in the old days, but he’s a triangle kind of player, simply because he’s not really a 1, and he’s not really a 2. He’s a guard.” (via ESPN)
The Knicks have an obvious need at point guard with Derrick Rose’s contract situation. Ron Baker has played valiantly as a reserve point guard, but he’ll never be anything more than just that. Chasson Randle could be a valuable rotational scorer, but again, not a long term solution at the 1. Ntilikina is an immediate plug and play, and he’ll be the day one starter should the Knicks select him.
Knicks scouting trip
According to Berman of the Post, Knicks GM Steve Mills flew out to France to see Ntilikina play in the French League. If you remember the pre-draft process in 2015, Mills and Phil Jackson flew out to Spain during the pre-draft period to watch Kristaps Porzingis. The intrigue is definitely there for the Knicks front office.
Pro Comparison
Prospect to pro comparisons often get out of hand. It’s even harder to compare Frank Ntilikina to an NBA player given the lack of film and information available about him. Here goes nothing:
Best case: Dennis Schröder
Like Schröder, defensive focus will be Ntilikina’s calling card. If he can tighten his handle, continuing improving his three-point shooting, and make his passes more accurate, he’s got a chance to have similar impact on a team like Schröder. That seems like a hefty task list of improvements, but Ntilikina is only 18 years old and has a very high ceiling.
Realistic case: Shaun Livingston/Dante Exum
Should Ntilikina’s lack of burst and aggressiveness hinder his development, his future in the NBA will be strictly as a defensive specialist and a rotational player. Livingston and Exum have been able to carve out niche roles in the league without having elite athleticism, and there is no doubt that Ntilikina could do the same.
— Brendan Duball, staff writer
Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage of the team, and listen to the TKW Podcast on SoundCloud!
