Player Profile:
“Ntilikina provides excellent size at the point guard position, measuring out at 6-5 and wielding a wingspan of near-7-feet. He has the height needed to read the defense with ease, and utilizes his length to get the ball around defenders and create easy separation on his shot.
Additionally, Ntilikina is one of the more underrated athletes in this year’s draft. He’s extremely explosive off the bounce, and has the quick first step needed to get to the basket against top-tier athletes, as well as the explosiveness needed to finish above the rim.
… somewhat passive at times, and hasn’t always been willing to apply his scoring prowess to it’s fullest extent. He’s a gifted shooter from long range, and can weave his way through the paint in impressive fashion. It’s just a matter of physically exploiting those strengths.
Ntilikina has been able to fall back on his playmaking skills, and that’s undoubtedly a strength of his. He’s a wiz in regards to finding passing lanes offensively, and has among the more advanced basketball I.Q.’s of any prospect.” — Frank Ntilikina and Taking Risks.
Outside Opinion:
“Likely still has plenty of room to improve athletically as his frame matures and he has NBA coaches and strength and conditioning staff in place to help him maximize his tools. Lower body in particular could get stronger, which may help him become more explosive. Defense, perimeter shooting and basketball IQ gives him tremendous versatility in today’s NBA, allowing him to be utilized in many different roles and alongside all kinds of different teammates and lineup configurations.” — Jonathan Givony on DraftExpress in 2016 FIBA European Championships Scouting Report.
Team Fit:
Yogi Ferrell has been beyond surprising this season, but the Mavericks still lack a point guard who can lead them to the next level of contention down the road — and thus Ntilikina is their choice. The 6-5 point guard’s rangy frame gives him loads of defensive versatility, while his 3-point shooting and underrated passing skills should bode well given the makeup of Dallas’ rotation.
Dallas already has some really strong defensive assets in their core (Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, Dorian Finney-Smith), and Ntilikina helps compound that on the perimeter. His playmaking should also afford some better looks to the Mavs’ wings on the perimeter, while allowing the aforementioned Ferrell to slide into more of a sixth man role off the bench — where he best fits long term.