Mysterious Case of Dallas Mavericks Guard Frank Ntilikina

In his first season with the Dallas Mavericks, Frank Ntilikina struggled to find valuable minutes, so what's the issue?

Last season, guard Frank Ntilikina found a secure home with the Dallas Mavericks. On July 4th, the team announced their plan to keep Ntilikina's 2 million contract this coming season. 

However, his ability to take that next step comes into question.

The Athletic Tim Cato explains.

"Ntilikina turned 24 in July and showed meaningful NBA skills last season but his further development is unlikely to make him more than a rotational cog," Cato wrote. 

One area of concern is his shooting. Last season, Ntilikina shot 34.2 percent from the 3-point line, a 13.7 decrease from the year before. 

In the playoffs not much changed, as he made 33.3 percent of his shots and went 6-20 from long range. 

"Per the NBA’s tracking data, 69 of his 111 attempts from distance last season were wide open, and he converted 40.6 percent of them," Cato wrote. "Ntilikina only shot 45.5 percent inside the arc." 

His numbers could change though if he finds more playing time. Last season he averaged 11.8 minutes per game.

For his career, he averaged 17.9 minutes. In his three seasons with the New York Knicks, he played 20 plus minutes, but his playing time began to decrease during the 2020-2021 season. 

"Dallas allowed nearly eight fewer points per 100 possessions when Ntilikina played, but that statistic is heavily influenced by his limited number of minutes," Cato wrote. 

So where does Ntilikina fit with the current roster? 

At best, he is a "15 minutes per game" player "when you consider his defensive prowess." 

We all caught a glimpse of his defensive skillset against the Phoenix Suns. In Game 6 he had four steals and one block, helping Dallas push the series to game 7. 

But with Tim Hardaway Jr. coming back, Josh Green's development, and up-in-coming players like Jaden Hardy and Tyler Dorsey, Ntilikina will need to do more. 

"At 24, players certainly improve, but their development curves rarely change. Ntilikina’s best-case scenario is one where he’s a solid 20-minute player," Cato wrote. 

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