CrushAlot wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

reub wrote:

Jmpasq wrote:

reub wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:

reub wrote:Frank has been amazing for a 19 year old point guard. What defense! He'll be a perennial All Star within 2 years. We did good!

Those aren't realistic expectations. His potential is high as an all around 2 way threat. Will probably take more than 2 yrs to hone all of that into all star status though.

Time will tell but he's already half way there with his defense. I believe in his vision, passing and three point shot too. He just has to learn to drive more and develop a floater. He can do it because he's the hardest worker there is.

He would have a hard time unless he gets to 15ppg. There are just so many good offensive guards in this era and those are the guys that make All star games

But they're not so good when Frank is defending them.

Being an "all star" means jack ****. It's a fukking popularity contest for Diva's and princesses. I will take a guy that can double double and play elite defense and occasionally triple double over every garbage 20+ point chucker in the league.

Not a big fan of the all star game but I have to ask, what player impacts the game as you described, double doubles, elite d, and doesn't make all star teams.

I don't track who makes the all star team - means absolutely zilch to me.

CrushAlot wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

reub wrote:

Jmpasq wrote:

reub wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:

reub wrote:Frank has been amazing for a 19 year old point guard. What defense! He'll be a perennial All Star within 2 years. We did good!

Those aren't realistic expectations. His potential is high as an all around 2 way threat. Will probably take more than 2 yrs to hone all of that into all star status though.

Time will tell but he's already half way there with his defense. I believe in his vision, passing and three point shot too. He just has to learn to drive more and develop a floater. He can do it because he's the hardest worker there is.

He would have a hard time unless he gets to 15ppg. There are just so many good offensive guards in this era and those are the guys that make All star games

But they're not so good when Frank is defending them.

Being an "all star" means jack ****. It's a fukking popularity contest for Diva's and princesses. I will take a guy that can double double and play elite defense and occasionally triple double over every garbage 20+ point chucker in the league.

Not a big fan of the all star game but I have to ask, what player impacts the game as you described, double doubles, elite d, and doesn't make all star teams.

I don't track who makes the all star team - means absolutely zilch to me.

Guys that impact the game as you describe generally make the all star team.

And it still has nothing to do with what I posted. I still think it's worthless and I don't care whether they make the game or not.

fishmike wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:

nixluva wrote:

TheGame wrote:

nixluva wrote:DSJ has flashier game but he’s got a long way to go before he’s a positive impact on his team. Frank is already more of a positive impact despite his low scoring.

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/andrewdbailey/status/954102994642980864

I think this chart is a reflection that all Frank looks to do is pass and create for others, which is a good thing. But that does not mean that he is the most effective player overall. Frank definitely needs to be more of an offensive threat but I think he will get there.

It’s a given that a rookie PG is going to have holes in his game. I just think Frank has the right base to build on. He’s focused on running the team FIRST and while he’s not a factor scoring he’s at least helping his teammates to perform better which is the PRIMARY function of a PG. I expect over time he’ll improve his scoring. DSJ is Scoring but the TEAM plays worse with him on the court.

No one can knock Frank's defense and eagerness to pass. Think he will be a good player in this league. The thing that I look for is to see if he is a special player. And "Special" players have a killer insticnt, ability to know when take over a game, embracing the spotlight, ridiculous level of self confidence and are never afraid to take the big shot. Things I dont think Frank has naturally. And to be fair, not too many do. Hopefully he will improve in some but most of these are not something you can teach or learn with time. You either have it or you dont. Its what seperates the special from the average. IMO, DS and Mitchell have IT.

problem is heart gets you to a point, then you gotta be this tall to ride this ride. Look at what happened to I Thomas in the playoffs. Smith Jr has to be one of the best offensive players ever to overcome that fact that he's smaller than Steve Nash and Steph Curry. You saw enough of DS to say he's got IT? Pa-leeze... dude didnt even play on a winning NCAA team.

Mitchell looks like Avery Bradley and he's a hell of a player but also not a PG.

Frank has shoved Lebron at MSG. Frank closed out Kyrie Irving in the 4th qtr. Frank put up a great game vs. a national hero in Parker. Frank has shown plenty of IT my man... I have seen plenty of IT from Frank. I think Frank's IT shuts down Dennis Smith's IT every time and twice on Tuesday when it comes down to a 7 game series... but time will tell

Did you really just use these as his highlights to show he has it? Come on man, the kid has had like 3 good games. So are you suggesting that IT left the rest of the games where he was invisible. And how are you dogging Thomas, for his size, after what he did last year? And btw, Smith is 6'2 Thomas 5'9. But ok, use it as a put down. Btw. Frank's IT just got replaced by Burke. As per JH. This is not about what everyone hopes is true. The fact is he has had a lot of things that has caused concern. Specially as an 8th pick. Tired if all the bull**** aboit him being 19. Them WTF take him at 8?

"Down the stretch we were behind, and I remember he had just taken a midrange that was not a great shot for him or us," Carlisle said. "I called him over and told him, hey, let's get off the midrange jump shot. We need you in the paint.

"And he just went wild with paint attacks. He was great. The thing about that kind of commitment to attacking the rim, it's taxing, physically taxing. And he got extremely tired. The thing I loved about it is that those situations prove his conditioning is getting better and he has the wherewithal late in games to exert that kind of pressure on defenses."

meloshouldgo wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

reub wrote:

Jmpasq wrote:

reub wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:

reub wrote:Frank has been amazing for a 19 year old point guard. What defense! He'll be a perennial All Star within 2 years. We did good!

Those aren't realistic expectations. His potential is high as an all around 2 way threat. Will probably take more than 2 yrs to hone all of that into all star status though.

Time will tell but he's already half way there with his defense. I believe in his vision, passing and three point shot too. He just has to learn to drive more and develop a floater. He can do it because he's the hardest worker there is.

He would have a hard time unless he gets to 15ppg. There are just so many good offensive guards in this era and those are the guys that make All star games

But they're not so good when Frank is defending them.

Being an "all star" means jack ****. It's a fukking popularity contest for Diva's and princesses. I will take a guy that can double double and play elite defense and occasionally triple double over every garbage 20+ point chucker in the league.

Not a big fan of the all star game but I have to ask, what player impacts the game as you described, double doubles, elite d, and doesn't make all star teams.

I don't track who makes the all star team - means absolutely zilch to me.

https://www.newsday.com/amp/sports/columnists/al-iannazzone/frank-ntilikina-knicks-1.16274563?share=other

Updated January 20, 2018 8:47 PM
By Al Iannazzone
LOS ANGELES — Frank Ntilikina s his own harshest critic. He doesn’t need any reminders when he doesn’t do well, and he’s the first to acknowledge it when that occurs.

“I can play a lot better,” Ntilikina said.

The rookie point guard was assessing his season, but it also applies to his recent play.

Ntilikina has gone scoreless in four of the past six games, including the last two. He played his fewest minutes of the season Friday night — 4:55 — in the Knicks’ 117-115 win over the Jazz in Utah.

Jeff Hornacek had a quick hook with Ntilikina, who didn’t take a shot for the first time this season, didn’t have an assist for the third time, committed two quick turnovers and looked slow on defense, which is his strength. Ntilikina also watched as newly signed Trey Burke ran the offense down the stretch.

“At this stage, we can’t afford to have a five-minute stretch of not getting after it,” Hornacek said. “He’ll bounce back.”

When the Knicks continue this six-game western trip Sunday afternoon against the Lakers, Hornacek has to go back to Ntilikina to let him redeem himself. If this season is about building, growing and developing, he can’t kill the confidence of the 19-year-old kid from France.

But this doesn’t change the fact that the Knicks should be looking to upgrade the point guard position. It’s their biggest weakness, and has been for years.

Management knows this. The Knicks are looking for a point guard, an athletic starting wing player and a rim protector. Each of those will become available before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, but it’s unlikely that the Knicks will be able to get all three by then.

Charlotte has made point guard Kemba Walker available, according to ESPN. The Knicks should make a call, and should make sure they don’t have to mortgage too much of the future to get him.

If Charlotte indeed wants to include a bad long-term contract with Walker, the Knicks probably would have no interest. They’re looking to be players in free agency in 2019.

It’s too soon to project what Ntilikina will be, and if he’ll ever be a franchise point guard. The Knicks faced guard Donovan Mitchell on Friday night. He leads all rookies in scoring, averaging 19.2 points, and does the things the Knicks need.

Mitchell gets into the paint, draws and dishes, and can finish. He was on the Knicks’ draft radar, but they passed and took Ntilikina. Mitchell went 13th to the Jazz.

Hornacek said that as soon as Utah made the pick, he called Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey and told him, “That was a great pick.”

Remember, former president Phil Jackson picked Ntilikina. The Knicks were trying to project who would be better five years down the line. Ntilikina has more upside because he’s two years younger. But Hornacek has acknowledged that Mitchell andDennis Smith Jr., who went ninth to the Mavericks, are more NBA- ready. They’ve proved that.

A glimpse of what he can be
Ntilikina had 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a win over the Nets last Monday. His teammates were saying he can be a consistent triple-double guy, and he believed he was ready to turn the corner. But he hasn’t scored in the two games since.

Ntilikina says he will keep working to become the player he knows he can be.

“I have a short memory,” he said. “But the thing is I’m also hard on myself. I want to be great. So when I do something bad, I know it. I’m hard on myself for sure. It is required to become a great player.

“It motivates me. It’s motivation. I know I have a lot of potential and I can do some great things in this league.”

Ntilikina ranks 25th among rookies in scoring, averaging 5.3 points, and is seventh in assists (3.5). The Knicks knew it would take some time. Ntilikina knows that too, so he’s not discouraged.

“It takes time,” he said. “I’ll make sure it’s as short as possible. It requires work and it requires patience too.”

Why Smith turned down Knicks
Dennis Smith Jr. told Yahoo Sports that he decided not to work out for the Knicks before the draft after Phil Jackson requested that he undergo a physical. Smith, who suffered an ACL tear in his senior year of high school, had dinner with Knicks officials but said the request turned him off. He also declined a workout the day before the draft.

“The Knicks were forcing me to do a couple things that were already established that I wasn’t going to do,” Smith told Yahoo. “I was uncomfortable with them . . . They kept insisting on the physical. I knew it would be a no-go.”

“The vibe was different in Dallas to me. The Knicks have some good guys on their staff, but the situation with them was funky at the time.”

Team record trumps personal record
The Knicks’ won-loss record means more to Courtney Lee than his franchise record of 52 (and counting) consecutive free throws made. “I want to make the playoffs,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do, man. After the season, when it’s all said and done, I’ll probably be like, ‘That’s pretty cool.’ ”

Lee, who broke Chris Duhon’s Knicks record of 43 in a row, has hit a league-leading 96.5 percent of his free throws.

Worth the weight
Michael Beasley arrived at training camp 20 pounds lighter because he wanted to be quicker, but he said he’s put on 30 pounds since then because he’s playing more power forward.

“I think it actually hurt me,” he said of his weight loss. “I can be 215, 220 playing the three. Playing the four is a different story . . . I literally put on 30 pounds since I’ve been here.”

He said he weighs 245 now. Beasley is averaging 15.8 points and shooting 52.2 percent in his last 24 games.

All-Star subs
The All-Star Game starters were revealed this week: Kyrie Irving, DeMar DeRozan, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid from the East; Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis from the West.

The reserves will be announced Tuesday. Here are our picks:

East: Kyle Lowry, John Wall, Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo, Al Horford, Kevin Love, Kristaps Porzingis.

Near misses: Andre Drummond, Goran Dragic, Tobias Harris.

West: Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns, LaMarcus Aldridge, Draymond Green

Near misses: Lou Williams, C.J. McCollum, Eric Gordon

Fast breaks
The Celtics won’t give Isaiah Thomas video tribute on Feb. 11 after all. This was a mess from the beginning.
Boston is retiring Paul Pierce’s number 34 that day. Pierce told president Danny Ainge that he didn’t think Thomas should get a tribute. The Celtics wanted to do it when the Cavaliers visited Boston Jan. 3. But Thomas wasn’t playing, so he asked if it could their next time back, Feb. 11. Now it’s off.
Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen made his 100th three-pointer in his 41st game, faster than any player in NBA history.
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Related
The Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns, right, tries to get
Iannazzone: Towns happy for Porzingis’ success
Enes Kanter of the Knicks reacts late in
Iannazzone: Kanter wants to retire as a Knick
Then-Knicks president Phil Jackson accepted blame for the
Iannazzone: Looking back and ahead at Knicks, NBA
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Copyright 2018 newsday. All rights reserved. newsday.com

From the man himself. He didn't want to come to NY and did what he could to prevent it. Can we now stop acting like the Knicks made a "mistake" with this guy? Comparing them as players is fine, but he did everything he could to stop the Knicks from drafting him.

joec32033 wrote:From Newsday yesterday....

https://www.newsday.com/amp/sports/columnists/al-iannazzone/frank-ntilikina-knicks-1.16274563?share=other

Updated January 20, 2018 8:47 PM
By Al Iannazzone
LOS ANGELES — Frank Ntilikina s his own harshest critic. He doesn’t need any reminders when he doesn’t do well, and he’s the first to acknowledge it when that occurs.

“I can play a lot better,” Ntilikina said.

The rookie point guard was assessing his season, but it also applies to his recent play.

Ntilikina has gone scoreless in four of the past six games, including the last two. He played his fewest minutes of the season Friday night — 4:55 — in the Knicks’ 117-115 win over the Jazz in Utah.

Jeff Hornacek had a quick hook with Ntilikina, who didn’t take a shot for the first time this season, didn’t have an assist for the third time, committed two quick turnovers and looked slow on defense, which is his strength. Ntilikina also watched as newly signed Trey Burke ran the offense down the stretch.

“At this stage, we can’t afford to have a five-minute stretch of not getting after it,” Hornacek said. “He’ll bounce back.”

When the Knicks continue this six-game western trip Sunday afternoon against the Lakers, Hornacek has to go back to Ntilikina to let him redeem himself. If this season is about building, growing and developing, he can’t kill the confidence of the 19-year-old kid from France.

But this doesn’t change the fact that the Knicks should be looking to upgrade the point guard position. It’s their biggest weakness, and has been for years.

Management knows this. The Knicks are looking for a point guard, an athletic starting wing player and a rim protector. Each of those will become available before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, but it’s unlikely that the Knicks will be able to get all three by then.

Charlotte has made point guard Kemba Walker available, according to ESPN. The Knicks should make a call, and should make sure they don’t have to mortgage too much of the future to get him.

If Charlotte indeed wants to include a bad long-term contract with Walker, the Knicks probably would have no interest. They’re looking to be players in free agency in 2019.

It’s too soon to project what Ntilikina will be, and if he’ll ever be a franchise point guard. The Knicks faced guard Donovan Mitchell on Friday night. He leads all rookies in scoring, averaging 19.2 points, and does the things the Knicks need.

Mitchell gets into the paint, draws and dishes, and can finish. He was on the Knicks’ draft radar, but they passed and took Ntilikina. Mitchell went 13th to the Jazz.

Hornacek said that as soon as Utah made the pick, he called Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey and told him, “That was a great pick.”

Remember, former president Phil Jackson picked Ntilikina. The Knicks were trying to project who would be better five years down the line. Ntilikina has more upside because he’s two years younger. But Hornacek has acknowledged that Mitchell andDennis Smith Jr., who went ninth to the Mavericks, are more NBA- ready. They’ve proved that.

A glimpse of what he can be
Ntilikina had 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a win over the Nets last Monday. His teammates were saying he can be a consistent triple-double guy, and he believed he was ready to turn the corner. But he hasn’t scored in the two games since.

Ntilikina says he will keep working to become the player he knows he can be.

“I have a short memory,” he said. “But the thing is I’m also hard on myself. I want to be great. So when I do something bad, I know it. I’m hard on myself for sure. It is required to become a great player.

“It motivates me. It’s motivation. I know I have a lot of potential and I can do some great things in this league.”

Ntilikina ranks 25th among rookies in scoring, averaging 5.3 points, and is seventh in assists (3.5). The Knicks knew it would take some time. Ntilikina knows that too, so he’s not discouraged.

“It takes time,” he said. “I’ll make sure it’s as short as possible. It requires work and it requires patience too.”

Why Smith turned down Knicks
Dennis Smith Jr. told Yahoo Sports that he decided not to work out for the Knicks before the draft after Phil Jackson requested that he undergo a physical. Smith, who suffered an ACL tear in his senior year of high school, had dinner with Knicks officials but said the request turned him off. He also declined a workout the day before the draft.

“The Knicks were forcing me to do a couple things that were already established that I wasn’t going to do,” Smith told Yahoo. “I was uncomfortable with them . . . They kept insisting on the physical. I knew it would be a no-go.”

“The vibe was different in Dallas to me. The Knicks have some good guys on their staff, but the situation with them was funky at the time.”

Team record trumps personal record
The Knicks’ won-loss record means more to Courtney Lee than his franchise record of 52 (and counting) consecutive free throws made. “I want to make the playoffs,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do, man. After the season, when it’s all said and done, I’ll probably be like, ‘That’s pretty cool.’ ”

Lee, who broke Chris Duhon’s Knicks record of 43 in a row, has hit a league-leading 96.5 percent of his free throws.

Worth the weight
Michael Beasley arrived at training camp 20 pounds lighter because he wanted to be quicker, but he said he’s put on 30 pounds since then because he’s playing more power forward.

“I think it actually hurt me,” he said of his weight loss. “I can be 215, 220 playing the three. Playing the four is a different story . . . I literally put on 30 pounds since I’ve been here.”

He said he weighs 245 now. Beasley is averaging 15.8 points and shooting 52.2 percent in his last 24 games.

All-Star subs
The All-Star Game starters were revealed this week: Kyrie Irving, DeMar DeRozan, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid from the East; Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis from the West.

The reserves will be announced Tuesday. Here are our picks:

East: Kyle Lowry, John Wall, Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo, Al Horford, Kevin Love, Kristaps Porzingis.

Near misses: Andre Drummond, Goran Dragic, Tobias Harris.

West: Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns, LaMarcus Aldridge, Draymond Green

Near misses: Lou Williams, C.J. McCollum, Eric Gordon

Fast breaks
The Celtics won’t give Isaiah Thomas video tribute on Feb. 11 after all. This was a mess from the beginning.
Boston is retiring Paul Pierce’s number 34 that day. Pierce told president Danny Ainge that he didn’t think Thomas should get a tribute. The Celtics wanted to do it when the Cavaliers visited Boston Jan. 3. But Thomas wasn’t playing, so he asked if it could their next time back, Feb. 11. Now it’s off.
Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen made his 100th three-pointer in his 41st game, faster than any player in NBA history.
SHARE ON FACEBOOK TWEET ON TWITTER
Related
The Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns, right, tries to get
Iannazzone: Towns happy for Porzingis’ success
Enes Kanter of the Knicks reacts late in
Iannazzone: Kanter wants to retire as a Knick
Then-Knicks president Phil Jackson accepted blame for the
Iannazzone: Looking back and ahead at Knicks, NBA
Enjoy 4 more articles for free.

LOG INSUBSCRIBE
Copyright 2018 newsday. All rights reserved. newsday.com

From the man himself. He didn't want to come to NY and did what he could to prevent it. Can we now stop acting like the Knicks made a "mistake" with this guy? Comparing them as players is fine, but he did everything he could to stop the Knicks from drafting him.

Agree.... Why do you think he did not want come to New York? Hint. Its a shape.

Welpee wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:

Welpee wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:The thing that I look for is to see if he is a special player. And "Special" players have a killer insticnt, ability to know when take over a game, embracing the spotlight, ridiculous level of self confidence and are never afraid to take the big shot. Things I dont think Frank has naturally. And to be fair, not too many do. Hopefully he will improve in some but most of these are not something you can teach or learn with time. You either have it or you dont. Its what seperates the special from the average. IMO, DS and Mitchell have IT.

You are also describing JR Smith and Monta Ellis. Why does scoring seem to be the only facet of the game to make one "special?"

So your declaring a first year player the same as guys that have dissapointed in the league for years and can score, just to try to throw some dirt on Smith, yeah that's not generalizing. Seems logical and factual. To answer your question about scoring. Have you been watching the NBA LATELY? Who is winning chips. Teams with ONE good defender? Defense is a team concept. The teams that are winning chips are teams that have multiple high level scorers. Period. It's no longer the YMCA, 80' Piston type basketball winning. So everyone can keep pretending that this is why we all looked forward to the draft after a ****ty season. And that Frank was a solid 8 pick. But sure..let's wait and see. Im just worried because it seems like the same guys arguing with me about Frank are the same ones who thought Phil would be around for ever. Triangle was going to be our future offense. Grant was a good player. It was ok that Timmy, JR and Shump were traded for basically nothing. And that Noah was a good value pick up. But what do I know, maybe I am wrong on this ones.

You're talking about basically two scenarios: 1) GSW - one of the greatest collections of talent in NBA history; or 2) any team the greatest player of this generation played on (Lebron). [b]Those are the teams who have won a championship lately...unless you count the Spurs, or the Lakers, or the Mavericks, or the Pistons. But I'm sure you find a way to say they don't count, right?

"Who is winning chips. Teams with ONE good defender? Defense is a team concept"----Name the team that won it with ONE elite defender?

"Those are the teams who have won a championship lately...unless you count the Spurs, or the Lakers, or the Mavericks, or the Pistons. But I'm sure you find a way to say they don't count, right?"----
Really? Lakers didn't have multiple high level scorers? Shaq and Kobe? The Spurs had other teams best players lined up to play for Vets minimum. You may want to check those teams rosters before you claim they won it with ONE elite defender. And again, as I said above, defense is a TEAM concept.