This is the kind of game that you can build off of if you’re the Knicks. Sure, they ended up getting blown out in the end (and it will pay off when Durant decides to join them this offseason), but they were close for a big part of the game, and a big part of why they were close was Frank Ntilikina.
I get the impression that Knicks fans aren’t happy with how much Ntilikina has progressed over the offseason. Maybe he himself got that impression, which is why he tied a career-high with plenty of time remaining in the third quarter. And the stats bear it out; he’s almost the same player he was last year, except slightly less boyish looking.
But not every prospect can be a Giannis, who started off raw but quickly became studlike. Lots of prospects start off raw and then stay raw for a few years. Some of them never develop a feel for the game. Some of them depart the NBA early, never to return. But some of them overcome a tumultuous first few years to become stars.
I just can’t think of any right now. But there are some, I’m sure. I’m not wasting too much energy on the question, because I’m thinking about how the Bucks are going to go undefeated this season and the thought of championship rings is consuming every neuron and axon in my brain.