Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Frank Ntilikina of France is introduced as the number eight overall pick to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Knicks: How does Frank Ntilikina project in the NBA? by El-Nazr McDowell

The New York Knicks have a promising core with Frank Ntilikina, Kristaps Porzingis, and Willy Hernangomez. What’s missing is leadership.

Though this week was a rough ride for the New York Knicks fans, it ended on a positive note.

Our beloved unicorn, Kristaps Porzingis, wasn’t traded. A promising defensive-minded point guard was drafted in Frank Ntilinkina. Two other young guards, Damyean Dotson and Ognjen Jaramaz, were added to help bolster the perimeter.

Even Phil Jackson has finally come out of hiding to speak candidly with the media—though the words that come out of his mouth are often unpopular.

Overall, things could have been a lot worse. Even though the Knicks may have passed on popular names like Malik Monk and Dennis Smith Jr., fans should be relieved that the core of the team is comprised of young talent—increasingly considered a prerequisite for success in today’s NBA.

However, there’s no denying that there are still some real questions about the morale of the team with both Carmelo Anthony and Porzingis being singled out by Jackson as players he has taken issue with.

Regardless of who’s right, pointing fingers and laying blame at others isn’t going to help the Knicks win games. On the executive level, I don’t think it’s wise to criticize players in the media and contribute to the air of dysfunction that hovers over the franchise.

I also don’t think Porzingis has handled his frustrations well, or that Anthony is some kind of martyr for doing what’s best for his financial gain. Looking at the Knicks from afar, it still seems obvious that there is real discontent and confusion over who is leading this team.

This isn’t the atmosphere you want to bring rookies into, especially from overseas, as their NBA incubation. Countless young players have had their careers derailed by being groomed in dysfunctional atmospheres and my fear is that the Knicks young core could be in danger of following that path if things don’t change quickly.

Part of fixing this is going to require a distinction of who is the team’s leader, and right now, it’s hard to determine who that is. Without even knowing who the leader is on a team, it’s easy for many players to drift into being a collection of individuals who end up doing what’s best for themselves.

Right now, Anthony has been embarrassed by Jackson to the point that everyone is waiting on him to just go away. Porzingis and his decision to cut off contact with team seem like the actions of a rogue employee daring to be penalized.

James Dolan has literally checked out by focusing his attention on his blues band and letting Jackson handle all basketball matters.

And Jackson is directly informing the media that he’s open to reshuffling the roster.

In this mix, your guess is as good as mine as to who should be the one to step up and right the ship. On a better team, this would be the point where a star player calls his teammates and gathers them together for a team meeting to air their grievances and seek a resolution as to how to come together on achieving team goals.

With new players and Summer League about to begin, this would be the time to do so.

Of course, a team should look to management for leadership. Jackson as an executive has proven to be a different leader than he was as coach, so the players may need to take more of a role in leading.

However, with Anthony’s stature on the team greatly reduced, it’s hard to expect him to have much invested in the team’s success, so I think this role falls to Porzingis to fill. However, if he isn’t happy here and doesn’t feel wanted, it makes sense for him to be aloof.

Perhaps this leaves the opportunity for another player like Willy Hernangomez who has been saying the right things all year, or even Frank Ntilinkia himself to take on the role as vocal leader and model teammate?

Either way, it’s not a good situation when young players have to lead.

What’s clear is that the absence of leadership needs addressing—now. The New York Knicks will otherwise remain in shambles.