The Knicks have removed much of the drama from their organization this season, firing Phil Jackson and trading Carmelo Anthony. What they need now is hope.

There is Kristaps Porzingis. And with the first preseason game on tap Tuesday, maybe they have another reason for hope in Frank Ntilikina.

He didn’t arrive with the shooting touch of Malik Monk or the athleticism and scoring ability of Dennis Smith, but the 19-year-old point guard has caught the eye of his teammates and coaches already.

“I think the surprising thing for me as a coach is how knowledgable he is of the game and how he reads things,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “You saw some of his raw talent, you saw his length on tape. But when you’re here watching him play every day, seeing the plays that he makes, finding the mismatches and getting the ball to that guy quickly.

“He comes down the court and he realizes this guy didn’t get a shot maybe the last three or four times, he seems to call a play that fits right there. It’s probably something he’s not even thinking about it, it’s just natural. That’s something not many guys have that, so that’s what’s been impressive.”

The opening is certainly there for Ntilikina, who the Knicks took with the No. 8 overall pick in the draft - the last move for Jackson before he was fired. The team signed Ramon Sessions and Jarrett Jack as low-cost veteran options to help nurture Ntilkina. But neither one has been an effective starter in the league and know that their role here is to help the French rookie learn the craft.

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“It’s a situation I’m familiar with in my career, backing up Jonny Flynn as a rookie, having Kemba (Walker) when he was young, having Kyrie (Irving) when was a rookie,” Sessions said. “With the young fellas, it’s one of those things I’m familiar with the situation, the rebuilding stage, and having a young guard that’s been drafted high. Maybe I can come in and bring my veteran leadership and just kind of show him the ropes of the NBA.

“Just watching draft I knew they had a young guy. Definitely there was talks about that, bringing in a veteran guy that can help. It’s definitely one of those things that we talked about and something that I’m comfortable. It’s something I’ve done at least four times in my career. It’s something I’m comfortable with.”

"Very good, very good,” Ntilkina said. “Allows me to learn a lot quicker. They’ve been in the league like 10 years so that’s like very good for me. Me, as a young player, I’m always here trying to get advice to make the process be as easy as possible.”

It is the willingness to listen that his coaches believe will help him.

“Guys gravitate towards him,” Hornacek said. “They see how he is with the game and how he’s not playing selfishly and how he’s trying to play the right way. Guys are just trying to spread their wealth of knowledge that they’ve learned over the years. It’s great. To me, if Frank was a guy that would just kind of nod his head and kind of walk away from guy like I know it all then he wouldn’t have the respect of guys. Guys talk to him and then he uses that knowledge that they tell him and all of the sudden makes a play. So it kind of goes both ways. Guys love to talk to him about it and he loves to listen.”

For the Knicks, who have low expectations this season with the oddsmakers putting the over-under at 30.5 wins, they can afford to wait for Ntilkina to find his way. The pressure is on though to live up to the potential after the Knicks passed on explosive offensive talents to take him.

“It’s funny, it’s one of those things,” Sessions said. “I played with Jonny when he was young and Kyrie when he was young. He’s got a lot of Kyrie tendencies a little bit. He’s not the most athletic guy but he can handle the ball in tight spots, can finish around the rim. It’s still early on but he definitely give me that Kyrie feel when Kyrie was a rookie.”

What they have seen so far with Ntlikina is a defensive-minded guard without breath-taking athleticism, but at 6-foot-5 he boasts a 7-foot wingspan that has already caught the eyes of his teammates.

“The work I have to put on is more physically,” Ntilikina said. “But I think defense is 80 percent of will. So I will go 100 on my will and do the best to stop every point guard every night. I know this league is very talented at this position so it’s going to be a challenge every night. I’m ready for it.”

“I think we have NBA players on the team that he’s battled with and showed that he can play in this league,” Hornacek said. “The one thing that is probably the ultimate sign that you’re good enough to play in this league is when you’re gaining the respect of the veteran players on your team. The guys are already talking about him and the plays that he’s making, so when you have the respect of those older guys you’re doing something right.”

Email: popper@northjersey.com