By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
New York Knicks president Steve Mills explained why the franchise trusts the potential of French guard Frank Ntilikina and commented on the faith the player has in himself, especially his defensive abilities.
Mills talked about Ntiliina on The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he also described the “new and improved” version of the 19-year-old player that appeared in the team’s camp in the offseason.
Per ESPN’s Ian Begley:
In an interview on The Stephen A Smith Show, Knicks president Steve Mills explained why the franchise is confident in second-year guard Frank Ntilikina: “We have a lot of belief in him. The guy came in bigger, stronger, more confident (in the offseason). He’s 19 years old, man. The kid is 19. What you look for in players in this league is, ‘What can you hang your hat on?’ This kid feels like he can guard anybody in this league and that’s something special. And that’s something that you can’t teach.”
After playing professional basketball with French side Strasbourg, Ntilikina was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In his debut season in the NBA, he notched 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, averaging 21.9 points over 79 games.
Ntilikina has been included in the Knicks 2018 NBA Summer League roster.