KEY POINTS

  • Frank Ntilikina has been signed by the Dallas Mavericks
  • The Frenchman's lack of a reliable offensive game failed to solidify his position in New York
  • Ntilikina will compete with Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke for the backup point guard position

Frank Ntilikina has found a new home in the NBA, one where he is most likely to shine.

The Dallas Mavericks announced that they have signed the French guard after the New York Knicks decided not to field a qualifying offer to him.

Drafted at No. 8 in the 2017 NBA draft, expectations were high for Ntilikina as Knicks fans hoped that the point guard will be exactly what they need to entice free agents to join the franchise.

Things fell flat for Ntilikina from the get-go.

Over 211 games and 55 starts in New York, Ntilikina averaged 5.5 points, 2.7 assists, and two rebounds. However, last season was his worst when he only averaged 2.7 points and 0.6 assists over 33 games and four starts.

The 23-year-old point guard took a backseat as Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley and Elfrid Payton went ahead of him on the depth chart last season.

Now with the Mavericks and away from the spotlight of Madison Square Garden, Ntilikina can solely focus on playing basketball and providing excellent bench play behind Doncic.

The guard is better suited to a bench role as he is yet to develop elite playmaking skills and a reliable offensive game in general, but he more than makes up for it on the defensive end.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Ntilikina has a steal percentage of 2.4 percent, ranking him in the upper 93rd percentile of all NBA players classified as a combo guard.

He is an excellent on-ball defender and someone that can pester quicker point guards as his quick feet and natural defensive instincts allow him to track the ball-handler with ease.

Add in his 6-foot-4 frame and 7-foot-1 wingspan, and Ntilikina has the potential to be an elite defensive-minded guard that the Mavericks can use to disrupt the passing lanes and prevent easy runs to the basket.

He is expected to share minutes with Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke early in the season to see who would be Doncic’s number one backup.

The Mavericks have been keeping tabs on Ntilikina since the 2017 draft, where they selected Dennis Smith Jr. directly after Ntilikina at number nine.

They finally get the point guard that they have been eyeing then, and it looks to be a win-win deal for both the player and the organization.

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