Maybe it’s the defense. You saw it in the second round against the Phoenix Suns. Jason Kidd, desperate for a wing to give his starters some rest, gave Frank Ntilikina a shot. And Ntilikina was disruptive, to say the least. He was a whirl of limbs and fury, giving Chris Paul and Devin Booker headaches in the Dallas Mavericks’ series win over the Suns.
There’s something about a player who’s an absolute menace on defense. Putting the ball in the basket at an elite level takes a level of physical ability and skill most people will never have.