New York Knicks legend Bernard King has high praise for Frank Ntilikina. If he reaches King’s expectations, Knicks fans will lose their minds.
Bernard King spoke with SiriusXM NBA Radio about the New York Knicks’ point guard of the future, Frank Ntilkina. King said of Ntilikina:
“I think ultimately you’re going to see a very dynamic player, and he’s going to become one of the best point guards in the league long term.”
That is extremely high praise from one of the greatest to ever put on a Knicks jersey. The best point guards in the league in no specific order are Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, among others. If Ntilikina can get to the point where he’s mentioned in the same breath as Stephen Curry, Knicks fans would start wearing berets and drinking champagne.
.@Hoophall & @nyknicks great Bernard King has high praise for Frank Ntilikina #Knicks pic.twitter.com/IY8CAm9R9H
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 7, 2018
King mentioned Ntilikina’s potential, which is a huge reason why the French point guard underwent such scrutiny during his rookie season. He’s not quite the finished product that other rookies appear to be. He didn’t put up gaudy numbers like the other rookies in his draft class a la Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma and Jayson Tatum.
But he has shown tremendous potential as a point guard. Although he needs to improve his shot and get more aggressive, his offense showed flashes at times. And make no mistake about it, Ntilikina isn’t far off from being in the conversation for All-Defensive Team. His length and athleticism are going to be a problem for opposing point guards. The NBA is full of dynamic, superstar point guards.
Ntilikina’s defensive presence will be a crucial element to the defensive identity of the Knicks for years to come. Paired with Kristaps Porzingis’ elite ability to protect the rim and it’s quite possible that the Knicks could become one of the better defensive teams in the league. If David Fizdale can unlock the potential of his young players on both ends of the court, the organization’s fortunes could be looking up.