Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau went into the season opening game against the Pacers with no intention of playing any of the point guards, Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr.
The two lottery picks of 2017 didn’t get their rookie contract extension on Monday’s deadline, and it’s clear they didn’t make it to Thibodeau’s 10-man rotation either.
Even after backup point guard Immanuel Quickley went down with a hip pointer late in the second quarter, the Knicks coach tried to do without them.
During the third quarter, when starting point guard Elfrid Payton picked up his third foul, Thibodeau attempted a backcourt from Alec Burks and RJ Barrett instead of turning to Ntilikina or Smith.
That slowed the transgression to a crawl and was another indication of how the Frenchman and the former North Carolina State Guard should gain Thibodeau’s trust.
Asked why he went without a point guard, Thibodeau said: “Alec, who played the point in the past, had a great first half. We wanted to keep shooting on the ground as much as possible to try to incorporate the opportunities we are looking for. It’s something that we clearly wanted to look at it. I think the more we do it the better it will get. “
It didn’t work, as the Pacers extended their lead to 88-82 after three quarters. Desperate, Thibodeau turned to Ntilikina to start fourth, and the 22-year-old didn’t take advantage of the Pacers running away with it.
Ntilikina played five minutes, missed badly on both shots and was a minus-5.
Before the match, Ntilikina was unsure whether he’d cracked the 10-man rotation. He had missed the last two games of the preseason with Achilles tendon pain.
“It will be the coach’s decision,” said Ntilikina after the morning shoot. “As players, we just have to be ready to jump on the field when they call us. The options we have, we have a lot of talented guards. That means many options for coach.
“We will be a talented team. At the moment, that question is more for the coach to find out what he is going to do. My job is to be ready for every game. “
Monday’s deadline passed without Ntilikina, 22, getting an extension to the rookie contract – which was expected. Ntilikina said he has never had any discussions about it and, as previously reported, will become a restricted free agent in 2021.
Hence, his future remains murky and a deal with a trade deadline should be considered if he is not fully in the rotation. Of course, the Knicks could add him to a star pack too.
Kevin Knox’s season got off to a slow start. He scored four points in 18 minutes and missed his first three shots.
Thibodeau went with a starting unit of Payton, Reggie Bullock, Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. … The Knicks caught fire from the 3-point line and finished 12 out of 28 (42 percent). Barrett was 3 for 3 after struggling from deep all season and preseason.