Fran Fraschilla, ESPN’s international draft guru, said he believes French point guard Frank Ntilikina is a terrific fit for Phil Jackson’s triangle but took a series of shots at the halfcourt offense in saying so.
On a conference call to promote the Chicago Draft Combine that starts Thursday, Fraschilla said the 18-year-old Frenchmen’s versatility makes him a better mesh for the system offense than Kentucky speedster De’Aaron Fox, but repeatedly
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“It doesn’t make sense to walk the ball up the court in the modern NBA into a halfcourt triangle set,’’ Fraschilla said. “If you’re not running in the NBA and getting easy baskets, you’re probably not a playoff team.’’
The 6’5 Ntilikina is considered the top international prospect in the draft, and probably will be there at No. 7, where the Knicks have an odds-on chance of selecting as the lottery beckons May 16. The Post reported GM Steve Mills jetted to
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“The broader view here is there’s five point guards in the first 10 [picks],’’ Fraschilla said. “Mostly because of the fact people don’t know him like they know the four college kids, he’s going to go fifth.
“I hate to say this because I’m not a fan of the triangle. In the modern NBA, the spacing doesn’t work as well as the old days, but he’s a triangle kind of player because he’s not really a 1, not really a 2. He’s a guard. He can
Colorado Rockies Authentic Jersey make decisions well. He shoots it well. He’s athletic. He can be a good defender. You’re also looking at a kid still 18 years old. His long-term potential as an NBA player is very good.”
The Knicks also like the Kentucky backcourt studs of Fox and combo guard Malik Monk. But Fraschilla said Fox, who will attend the combine, will be gone by the sixth slot. Under the lottery format, the Knicks can select either 7, 8, 9, 10 or 1, 2, 3.
Fraschilla added Fox “fits most systems’’ but indicated he felt his speedy ways would be wasted in New York.
According to Fraschilla, Ntilikina’s “ability to play multiple positions’’ makes the triangle “cater more to Frank’s versatility than Fox’s speed.’’
At a New York workout last summer at the Terminal 23 gym, Fraschilla saw Ntilikina’s range, saying he hit 27-of-30 3-pointers during the drill. The prodigy is sinking 43 percent of his 3-points shots in the French League.
“He doesn’t have the polish of a [Markelle] Fultz or [Lonzo] Ball or speed and raw athleticism of Fox and [Dennis] Smith, but he has the look and feel of an NBA guard when he grows up,’’ Fraschilla said.
One Western Conference executive said Ntilikina has a major upside but in his rookie year, he could look like a project because of the limited time he’s getting in France (5.2 points per 17 minutes a game) and the manner in
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“He’s not programmed to play AAU type of basketball,’’ the NBA executive said. “You’re afraid to make mistakes there because he doesn’t want to be pulled out. But he’ll be low turnover as a rookie. He can drive the ball a little better than he does, but his intangibles — size and wingspan (6’11) — are pretty special. That’s why you take him in the top 10. He’ll be in the 7-12 range.”
