Frank Ntilikina is looking to take a big step forward in his sophomore campaign with the New York Knicks. Adding weight and muscle seems like a good start.
Frank Ntilikina’s rookie season was certainly up and down. The 19-year-old showed promise at times—especially on defense—but he was mostly inconsistent. The New York Knicks are hoping he takes a big leap forward in his development.
He’s off to a good start. Ntilikina has been working on his body in France and the slight 19-year-old could benefit from adding muscle. He spoke to Marc Berman of the New York Post and discussed his changing physique. He told Berman:
“I’ve added some weight and muscle,” Ntilikina told The Post on Friday in a phone interview. “I spent a lot of time working on my body in France. I’m getting better and more comfortable with my skills and body. I had the chance to maximize my time and work on my body, which I didn’t have time to do during the season.”
This is a huge development because a sturdier Ntilikina will be tougher to handle on drives to the basket. One of his issues last season was a lack of aggressiveness—most notably when he was taking the ball to the basket. Adding weight and muscle could benefit this part of Ntilikina’s game. We might start seeing him attacking and finishing through contact more regularly.
Offseasons are ripe with these types of comments from players. The cookie-cutter statements about how he feels great, he’s adding muscle, and he’s in the best shape of his life.
But there could be worse reports coming out. Ntilikina is hitting it hard this offseason and he’s poised to make the proverbial next step towards becoming a star.
