Frank Ntilikina responded to LeBron James’ criticism a day later, and he doesn’t seem to be too worked up about what the Cavaliers forward said.
On Saturday, LeBron’s Cavaliers faced the Dallas Mavericks and won 111-104. James was impressed by Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr., who scored 21 points and added seven assists in the game. While praising Smith after the game, James indirectly criticized Ntilikina by saying Smith should have been a Knick. That’s a reference to the 2017 NBA Draft, where the Knicks took the European point guard with the No. 8 pick and Dallas took Smith at No. 9.
So what does Ntilikina think about being thrown in the middle of this?
“I think in life people can think whatever they want,” Ntilikina said Sunday via SNY. “However, it’s not gonna affect us and me so whatever is said, whatever people think, me and the team are just focused on what we’re doing every day to improve and just to make us better.”
Ntilikina really brushed aside James’ remarks. Instead, he seems to be concentrating on improving his game and finding his place in the league.
Ntilikina is 19 and came over from Europe without playing college ball the way Smith did. He may need a little more time to develop than some of the other players picked in the top 10 of the draft, but that does not mean he will be a worse player. He’s averaging 4.4 points and five assists in 20.2 minutes per game, while receiving recognition for playing good defense.
Maybe Smith, who came into the league with injury concerns, is a better player off the bat, but it’s way too early to make any determinations about what kind of player Ntilikina will turn into.
