Clifford Makes Bold Statement About Frank Ntilikina

A significant upgrade for the Charlotte Hornets?

The backup point guard spot has been a turnstile in Charlotte since LaMelo Ball entered the organization but the Hornets are hopeful that they have found their guy in Frank Ntilikina.

Offensively, Ntilikina doesn't offer a whole lot. He's a career 37% shooter from the field and 32% from three-point range. But where the Frenchman makes his money is being a menace on the defensive end of the floor. He is extremely good at forcing a player to go to his non-dominant hand and doesn't allow for many easy shots to go up. 

Ntilikina isn't going to rack up a ton of steals as he has collected 210 in 316 career games, but he can take a player out of his rhythm and make life uncomfortable for the opposing team's top scorer.

Following Tuesday's preseason win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach Steve Clifford praised Ntilikina's defensive prowess.

"He's our best defender. His team defense is very good. His individual pick-and-roll defense is...I would dare say there's not many guys in this league better than him. He can guard primary scorers and there are not many guys who can do that. You get that type of defense with six assists and no turnovers then obviously he's helping you."

Ntilikina has racked up 4.1 defensive win shares in six seasons but has a usage rate of 16%. For comparison, Pat Beverly, one of the league's best defenders, had 8.2 win shares in his first six NBA seasons with a similar usage rate. So although he's not quite the defender Beverly is, he is an upgrade from what the Hornets have actually had on their roster. Dennis Smith Jr. who was with Charlotte last season and is known for making an impact on the defensive end, has just six defensive win shares with a higher usage rate of 23.4%.

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