7. PG Frank Ntilikina, Strasbourg
As the top rated foreign prospect in the class at this point, Ntilikina has established himself as one of the most skilled point guards in a class characterized by depth at the position. Despite just recently turning 18, Ntilikina already possesses a level of poise and precision when he plays that few players years older than him are able to attain, and his overarching range of talent is among the most NBA-ready out there.
Facilitation is the facet of the game in which Ntilikina excels the most, and he does so at a level no other guards in the 2017 class have yet to reach. Standing at 6-5 with a rangy wingspan and exceptional court vision, Ntilikina reads the defense with incredible wisdom for a player of his age. His aptness is understanding the inner workings of the offense and how to manipulate the defense is truly astounding, and he utilizes that to his advantage every possession.
He’s a willing passer who can run the show from day one at the next level. He’ll make teammates better around him, while giving the defense someone they have to specifically create a game plan for for that very reason. He’ll be able to run plays and set up his team for success at will, and that’s something that should be very appealing to a number of teams.
In terms of his scoring touch, the tools are there, it’s simply a matter of execution. Ntilikina is a solid outside shooter and has a strong first step that allows him to get into the lane and finish when desired. He can score the ball plenty when he’s motivated to do so, it’s simply a matter of getting him to take advantage of opportunities given to him. He’s almost unselfish to a fault at times, a similar knock to the one that we saw pegged on Ben Simmons relentlessly during this year’s pre-draft process.
Ntilikina brings that overarching intelligence and on-court I.Q. to the defensive end as well. He has the size needed to cover either guard spot, and reads passing lanes at a level only the aforementioned Fox matches. He understands his role on that side of the ball and is able to operate successfully in a plethora of different scenarios.
It’s tough to find floor generals with the two-way talent and ability to run the court that Ntilikina possesses. Add in his extremely young age and the fact that he has a level of mental development that many veteran point guards don’t obtain, and his stock is one that should remain high all the way up until draft night.
Next: 6. Jackson