Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina is set to return to the rotation after sitting out of the team’s game on Christmas, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. The Knicks will play the Bucks on Thursday night, the second matchup between the teams this week.
“He’s a pro, man,” coach David Fizdale said of Ntilikina. “He says, ‘Coach, don’t you worry about that.’ That’s how he talks. He says, ‘I don’t want you to worry about that. I know you are going to get me back in there at some point and I won’t let you down.’
“For a 20-year-old kid to think that way and talk that way even though I know it hurt him, and I know it was hard on him, and I didn’t want to do that to him — he just handled it great. I want him to have a shot back at these guys.”
Ntilikina’s sudden benching likely harmed his confidence, but the 20-year-old has stayed ready for a second opportunity. His mother traveled to New York for the Christmas Day game, according to Berman, making the sudden DNP sting even more for the second-year player.
Ntilikina has averaged 6.3 points per contest in 31 games this season, shooting 34% from the field and 29% from 3-point range. The Knicks drafted him with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Al Horford‘s return brought a calming effect to the Celtics this week, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes. Horford returned to Boston’s lineup on Christmas against the 76ers, producing nine rebounds, six assists and solid all-around leadership. “[Horford] just brings a calming presence,” said teammate Kyrie Irving. “[There’s] nothing like having a plus-12[-year] vet out there that knows how to play basketball. He makes the game a lot easier with screening, rebounding, defense, all the intangibles that just demand that effort. And he’s just always locked in, in the game plan.”
- Despite Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid not being a flawless fit together, the duo still has several years to work out the kinks and improve as members of the Sixers, David Murphy of Philly.com opines. Philadelphia currently owns a 22-13 record behind the production of Simmons, Embiid and Jimmy Butler, good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
- Despite the Celtics‘ recent success, All-Star Kyrie Irving will need more help if the team hopes to make a late postseason run, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The Celtics were expected to be at the top of their conference entering 2019, but the team holds just a 20-13 record and the fifth seed 33 games into the season. Boston sports a talented mix of players around Irving that includes Horford, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward.
Rozier, Brown, and best 2019 1st for Ayton. I think the Suns would actually do it.
No way Phoenix would do it, come on man Ayton is gonna be a superstar, is having a stellar season, for me the ROY… so why would they swap him for 2 average to good player & a pick, no way (only if the pick was to be Zion or RJ, then maybe but still…)
Are you on meth?
Is it just me or this Fizdale guy sounds more like a clown every day! FN didn’t seem to say publicly what Fiz claims told him, & if he really didn’t wanna bench him on Xmas day, why did he do it? Was it forced by the FO? What this guy says never makes any sense to me!!!
And this “I want him to have a shot back at these guys.” He wants to play bad guy and good guy in the same sentence. Why not just play them consistently?
Fiz talks in circles. He’s been put in a tough situation for sure, but he’s got a needy, insincere vibe. Tries too hard, but full of shhhh. Schizophrenic coaching will kill these young players.
He is a lousy coach. In 10 years he will have been fired 3 more times with a career winning percentage of .39
Ridiculous deal for Ayton, especially with the Suns going nowhere this year and having the cash to sign someone like Rozier in the offseason.
Fiz is worrying me, not sure if he’s making up the conversations between him and his players, or if he’s divulging things that should have stayed internally. Frank was mad on X-Mas day, but he very well may have said what Fiz related the next day as he really has no leverage to say anything else right now. He wasn’t shooting well before the first benching, and then came back with a couple of games that showed his potential before cooling off again.
I also understand the benching as the Christmas Day game is a high exposure one, and one potential FA targets would likely see. A good showing may slightly help them attract a guy.