A few weeks ago, New York Knicks guard Courtney Lee noticed Frank Ntilikina seemed nervous at times on the court. He saw the rookie overthinking things in certain situations. Typical stuff for a first-year player. So Lee pulled Ntilikina aside after practice and delivered a message.
"He said don't be afraid to take some risks and just play your game, have fun out there," Ntilikina said.
Lee's words seem to have sunk in.
Ntilikina has emerged as a key piece for the Knicks, impacting games on both ends of the floor in ways that few could have predicted at this point in his career.