Frank Ntiilkina holds the honor of being the standout international prospect in this summer’s NBA Draft, but can he make an impact when he arrives in the league?
Who Is Frank Ntilikina?
In a draft loaded with more top college prospects than there has been for a number of years, Frank Ntilikina stands out as the most intriguing player likely to declare from overseas.
Born in Belgium to Rwandan parents, Ntilikina is a French national having lived in Strasbourg since he was only three years old. That connection has extended further into his professional life, as having made his way up through the club’s academy system, Ntilikina is now thriving with professional basketball club Strasbourg IG.
Still, it’s not necessarily club basketball that has had the biggest impact on the 18-year-old’s potential path to the NBA.
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At Strasbourg, Ntilikina has had to battle with tested veterans on a strong and established team for floor time, but with the French national team he has had the opportunity to impress.
Ntilikina has taken full advantage of the considerable audiences that FIBA’s underage tournaments can attract, starring for the French teams at both the 2015 and 2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championships.
Having claimed MVP honors after leading France to victory at the 2016 staging, which took place in December, in many ways Ntilikina’s timing could not be better from an NBA perspective.
That’s enough background, though. Let’s take a closer look at more specific elements of Ntilikina’s game.
Next: Strengths