After the New York Knicks traded Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder, they officially entered a new era. With Kristaps Porzingis being the new face of the franchise, the Knicks also have intriguing prospects in Willy Hernangomez and Frank Ntilikina.

As the franchise has finally embraced a full rebuild, head coach Jeff Hornacek discusses how surprised he is with Ntilikina to begin training camp according to Steve Popper of North Jersey:

“I think the surprising thing for me as a coach is how knowledgable he is of the game and how he reads things,” Hornacek said. “You saw some of his raw talent, you saw his length on tape. But when you’re here watching him play every day, seeing the plays that he makes , finding the mismatches and getting the ball to that guy quickly. He comes down the court and he realizes this guy didn’t get a shot maybe the last three or four times, he seems to call a play that fits right there. It’s probably something he’s not even thinking about it, it’s just natural. That’s something not many guys have that, so that’s what’s been impressive.”

Heading into the 2017 NBA Draft, Ntilikina had the highest chance of being an All-Star or bust. Despite having an opportunity to select Dennis Smith Jr. or Malik Monk with the eighth overall pick, then-President Phil Jackson was confident in Ntilikina’s potential.

As Ntilikina develops, it will be on Porzingis’ shoulders to lead New York. While Porzingis is one of the league’s rising stars, he is only 22 years old and will need to learn how to be a team’s first option and leader.