Frank Ntilikina has always been a dog

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports That’s one ferocious canine.It’s nice that the Knicks seem to have noticed Frank Ntilikina’s latest stretch of hounding defensive play mixed with a dose of offensive potential, but the 21-year-old has been displaying the same doggedness since day one and it’s about time the franchise started nurturing his confidence instead of stifling it.

The Knicks, in case you weren’t aware, view themselves as a group of dogs this year. Unfortunately, for most of the season, the players have looked more like pugs than pit bulls. Sure, a few games could have easily gone the other way — three of the team’s losses have been by five points or less while most of the others have…