Frank Ntilikina’s Team France teammate, Evan Fournier, says the New York Knicks point guard deserves a fair shot.
Apparently, this writer isn’t the only person who believes Frank Ntilikina can become a successful NBA player. Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier took to Twitter to shout out the New York Knicks‘ point guard.
The guy only needs a real opportunity https://t.co/kiBS2HWUxB
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) September 16, 2019
Fournier led France in scoring during the World Cup with 19.8 points per game. He and Ntilikina formed France’s starting backcourt for a majority of the tournament.
Ntilikina is coming off of an eye-opening performance with Team France at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The 21-year-old guard took over as France’s starting point guard in the second game of the tournament and never looked back.
His suffocating defense and timely shooting were two major reasons for France’s successful World Cup. Their run to the bronze medal included a victory over Team USA in which Ntilikina took over in the fourth quarter. The former No. 8 pick went toe-to-toe with All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker and came out on top.
Ntilikina has yet to have a consistent opportunity to succeed in New York. Former team president Phil Jackson was let go by the team mere days after drafting the Frenchman. In two seasons with the Knicks, Ntilikina has only started in 25 games.
Head coaches Jeff Hornacek and David Fizdale have opted to go with the likes of Jarrett Jack and Emmanuel Mudiay over Ntilikina in the past.
The long-limbed point guard’s NBA future is still uncertain, but his World Cup performance showed that he can be a valuable role player on a winning team.
