Knicks News: GM Scott Perry Says Frank Ntilikina Has Added 10-15 Pounds
New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina apparently hit the weights hard this offseason.
Speaking at a Knicks town hall event, general manager Scott Perry said Ntilikina added 10 to 15 pounds of muscle during his summer workouts, ESPN.com's Ian Begley reported Monday.
The 20-year-old French international didn't have a great rookie season but provided optimism for the future.
He averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 31.8 percent from three-point range. His struggles from beyond the arc were predictable since he was a 37.5 percent three-point shooter in his final year with SIG Strasbourg in the French league.
Ntilikina did have a positive impact on the defensive end of the floor. According to NBA.com, the Knicks had a 104.9 defensive rating with him on the floor. Their rating climbed to 111.0 when he went to the bench.
Knicks head coach David Fizdale said Monday at the town hall he sees Ntilikina as a guard, declining to specify whether that means playing him at the point or 2-guard, per the Record's Chris Iseman. Fans can likely expect to see Ntilikina utilized in a variety of ways in 2018-19.
Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Knox are clearly the two most important players for the Knicks' rebuild, but Ntilikina has the potential to be the kind of glue player instrumental for a playoff contender in a supporting role.
