Frank Ntilikina bounced from side to side. He hopped around on the balls of his feet. He stretched his legs and listened in on the Knicks huddle with 6:45 to go Monday night against the Wizards. Ntilikina had yet to play, but the game was close enough and the young Knicks guard was simply trying to stay ready if playing time ever came, his hopes likely earnest, even if they were improbable by then.



David Fizdale has used the first 25 games of this season as a time for experimentation, fiddling with lineups and rotations while trying to figure out who fits and doesn’t. For the second straight game, it was clear that Ntilikina is on the margins. He was, again, a DNP-coach’s decision in the Knicks’ 110-107 loss to the Wizards. By the time they face the Celtics it’ll have been more than a week since he last played, and with no guarantee his streak will break Thursday night.



It is a precarious spot to be in for Ntilikina, still just 20,...