Sixers Draft Profile: Frank Ntilikina Is A Risky Long-Term Project

The Sixers are cementing a place in the top five of the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, but with guards at a surplus in this class the team could take a shot at international guard Frank Ntilikina.

“Sure things” in the draft are fallacies. With every pick comes some sort of risk. Finding a player that can produce at a high level and fit an organization’s culture is a complicated task. One the Sixers are no strangers to. There seems to be a lot of “sure things” in this draft, but also a couple of high-risk, high-reward players. One of them being Belgian guard Frank Ntilikina.

Ntilikina is a 6’5 point guard who’s length is attracting many NBA scouts. The kicker is, he’s just 18-years old and is starting to produce more for the French team SIG Strasbourg. He has often come off the bench, but has been the team’s most stable scoring option. Strasbourg struggles with spacing, yet Ntilikina still finds multiple ways to score, making him a serious option for the Sixers this June.

Offense

Ntilikina’s strength on the offense is his outside shot. Although he rushes at times, his mechanics are as good as you can expect from a teenager. His length helps him get the shot over defenders, matched with a pretty high vertical on his jumper. He doesn’t tend to take contested shots, but can still hit them either off the dribble or in catch and shoot situations.

That’s what makes Ntilikina an attractive option for the Sixers. His ability to get open shots without the ball in his hands. He curls around screens well and has a quick release on his jumpers. Ntilikina has the chance to be a decent spread option for the Sixers, who are lacking in that category.

Being such a long point guard, there is worry about his ability to attack the basket. He’s fast with the ball, but not quick in the way that allows him to get by perimeter defenders. His handle is nothing to awe about, as he is rarely seen making any sort of move to the basket. It’s disappointing since he’s a pretty good finisher around the rim, and also takes him away from the foul line.

It’s his biggest weakness heading into draft night. And one that could have teams stray away from the guard. Luckily for the Sixers, that’s not what they need Ntilikina to do. Being a catch and shoot threat to complement Ben Simmons would be a perfect role for all parties involved. The Sixers offense gets spacing, and Ntilikina gets open looks.

Defense

Ntilikina’s length makes him an attractive option next to Ben Simmons defensively, as well. A “backcourt” of the 6’5 Ntilikina and the 6’10 Simmons seems monstrous. He does however struggle to defend on the ball against quick guards. He’s often caught on his heels along the perimeter but makes up for it by contesting shots from behind.

He does have the IQ to rotate defensively however, and switches onto the ball well in pick and roll situations. He often fails to stay on the ball when he’s defending the pick and roll ball-handler, however. He tends to just stay on the screener, instead of fighting through it. This often leads to open perimeter shots.

What makes him attractive is the ability to guard more than one position. In the post, he uses his wingspan to contest shots, while also having the ability to time steals perfectly.

His footwork overall needs work, showing his rawness as a prospect.

Ntilikina isn’t the type of player to make an impact right away. The game is still moving fast for him, and that is shown by how he rushes with the ball in his hands. He also seems a tier below his projected draft-mates in terms of outright athleticism in getting to the rim. Ntilikina is a long-term project, one that could easily be a flop.

Next: Sixers Draft Profile: Dennis Smith, Jr.

But his ceiling is too high to completely overlook. We won’t see any sort of impact from Ntilikina until year two or three, but as his feel for the game grows his potential gets scarier. The Sixers taking a swing at Frank Ntilikina will be a move in solidifying the future at a continued measured pace.