Brandon Knight speaks

[Fan from Dade]

Just thought this was an interesting article from Goodwill. Knight hasn't spoken about his time as a Piston very much. He is sort of addressing some of his critics here. See the full article and some exceprts below. I have said basically the same thing here so it's good to hear a pro have the same understanding.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2013 ... t%7CSports


“If you think about it using common sense,” said Knight, who averaged four assists and shot 37 percent from 3-point range last season. “First year (2011-12) was a lockout, didn’t have that summer. Next year, played half the year (at point guard). I pretty much played it for a full year. Some of the best point guards don’t take a year to develop into what they are. They are given an opportunity to develop. Using common sense, I played it (around) 80 games.”

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2013 ... z2YVFqYE2c

“I thought I was (getting it), especially defensively defending point guards,” Knight said. “Even after the trade, the two games before Calderon played, we played pretty well. I thought I was growing into the role. Things happen though. You gotta adjust and adapt.

“A lot of great PGs, first they’re given an opportunity then have time to grow into that role.”



From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2013 ... z2YVGJXgFF

[MrBigShot]

He makes some valid points. If anyone can help him, it's Mo Cheeks. Getting Chauncey as a mentor wouldn't hurt either...I hope Knight uses all of the Burke talk and doubts about his ability as a PG as motivation and proves us wrong. As long as he's a piston I'll be rooting for him.

[Hotmayo]

knight should not have done this interview with goodwill. Knight sounds pathetic. Braondon Knight it is clear, you don't have the understanding of the position. As smart as you are in school, you can't study your way out of this position. You may get better with super hard work, but you overthink every decsion you make, dude. Being a point guard has to be ultra smart, fast thinking. You can't teach someone how to be a point guard man, it is something you just understand, like it makes sense to you from day 1. You have to be born with court vision.

I like it when a player takes critisicm, but never speaks out it annoys me.

[Fan from Dade]

knight should not have done this interview with goodwill. Knight sounds pathetic. Braondon Knight it is clear, you don't have the understanding of the position. As smart as you are in school, you can't study your way out of this position. You may get better with super hard work, but you overthink every decsion you make, dude. Being a point guard has to be ultra smart, fast thinking. You can't teach someone how to be a point guard man, it is something you just understand, like it makes sense to you from day 1. You have to be born with court vision.

I like it when a player takes critisicm, but never speaks out it annoys me.

That's a silly way to look at it and not true at all. First, he was interviewed and answered honestly. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. He made real points by answering the direct questions. Nothing for him to be afraid to address. He doesn't seek any attention. Everything he said was true. You are making judgements on a player that has been a PG for 3 years. He has shown more then enough, its all about consitency for him. You can absolutely get better. Nothing wrong with his court vision btw.

[ImHeisenberg]

I want him to make a leap, but for him to make a leap, it would simply be jumping to "average" NBA starting point guard, he was one of the worst in the league last year.

But, I am willing to give him a pass considering he played with plantar fasciitis for a lot of last season. But, a painful foot doesn't put blinders on you, it shouldn't inhibit a person's ability to pass the damn ball.

Hopefully Cheeks imbues him with some of that championship know-how and he shows us and everyone else enough to instill some confidence in him again.

[Piston Pete]

I have issues with players whining.

But I think Knight was just being honest....and the points he made were legit. I have no issues with that. He's a hard worker. If he uses this as motivation and starts "getting it" at PG, then I'll be thrilled.

If he doesn't get it, I'll be bummed, but you can't question his work ethic and desire to want to get better.

[Spider156]

In my opinion, I think Knight will eventually get it. All he needs is a wing player to pass it to and I think KCP is the guy. I'd give Knight a little more time at the point. He just needs to step up this year from the beginning. Let's hope Cheeks can instill some of his game unto Knight.

[princeofpalace]

Im not a fan of KNight starting at PG- I hope he proves me wrong though. That being said, I think this interview was fine- I don't think he was whining, whining wouldve been if he did midseason while Calderon was starting at PG. He handled the situation like a pro, now he can look at it in hindsight, now that the situation has changed and give his honest opinion. There's nothing wrong with that.

Since it appears like Knight will be our starting PG in October, I hope he grows as a PG and a player in general. He has a long long ways to go to be an average point.

[Cowology]

knight should not have done this interview with goodwill. Knight sounds pathetic. Braondon Knight it is clear, you don't have the understanding of the position. As smart as you are in school, you can't study your way out of this position. You may get better with super hard work, but you overthink every decsion you make, dude. Being a point guard has to be ultra smart, fast thinking. You can't teach someone how to be a point guard man, it is something you just understand, like it makes sense to you from day 1. You have to be born with court vision.

I like it when a player takes critisicm, but never speaks out it annoys me.

History tells us that your claim is blatantly false and erroneous.

Court vision does tend to be innate, but it's very common for young pg's to take 2-3 years (or even 4+) to develop. It is not Day 1 or Bust. There are always exceptions to the rule and unfortunately those elite players tend to raise the bar in the eyes of the casual fan, but those expectations are not realistic or particularly reasonable. You certainly can't teach everyone/anyone to be a pg, but you most certainly can teach some.

Knight may not ever get it. But to say that he can't simply because he's struggled to date is a poor assumption to make. I would however say this will be a big year for him, one way or another, and he needs to show some significant progress.

[OneBadMutha]

Can't disagree with what he said. He did play better right before the Pistons added Calderon. He was much better defensively his 2nd year compared to his first which is the reason I went from a Knight detractor to having hope for him. His first year was a shortened season w/out a training camp and he played point guard half his 2nd season. He also doesn't use his injury as an excuse when that type of injury absolutely has an effect on players.

I'm not willing to make a prediction other than I believe he'll be a useful player if a coach plays to his strengths. He plays defense and has some offensive skills. He's got a spot in this league. Think the Pistons should let him play full time this year to find out what a healthy and more experienced Knight is capable of.

[E-Z]

He's right about his defense. His P&R defense is bad, but that's a two man game, so I won't fault him entirely.

Everything else has been an improvement on that side of the ball.

Offensively, his assist and 3pt percentage did increase, but marginally.

There's a lot of weight on his shoulders next season. The Pistons can go anywhere from 8th to 5th in the East based on his performance alone.

[vege]

Blablabla. He wasn't the only one who was drafted during those circumstances, the truth is, he was horrible for 2 years and was hurting the team badly as our starting PG.

I have absolutely no issues with the guy learning how to play PG and I do understand it takes time, however he should not learn how to play PG at the expense of our team. Come off the bench, play 15 minutes a game until he has a clue on wtf he is doing. It's really simple.

Knight SHOULD NOT START until he is a PG. Period.

[aad]

I glad knight will have another chance at starting pg this should be his make or break season and I think he will be much improved I hope KCP start along side him because they both can shoot and giving our big three of Drummond/Monroe/smith space

[E-Z]

Blablabla. He wasn't the only one who was drafted during those circumstances, the truth is, he was horrible for 2 years and was hurting the team badly as our starting PG.

I have absolutely no issues with the guy learning how to play PG and I do understand it takes time, however he should not learn how to play PG at the expense of our team. Come off the bench, play 15 minutes a game until he has a clue on wtf he is doing. It's really simple.

Knight SHOULD NOT START until he is a PG. Period.

That philosophy would be fine if he wasn't paid like a lottery pick. It's why everyone were scratching their heads when Frank didn't start Drummond right away.

[Maker_84]

good for BK to speak up, i agree with him on everything he said.

[Cowology]

Blablabla. He wasn't the only one who was drafted during those circumstances, the truth is, he was horrible for 2 years and was hurting the team badly as our starting PG.

I have absolutely no issues with the guy learning how to play PG and I do understand it takes time, however he should not learn how to play PG at the expense of our team. Come off the bench, play 15 minutes a game until he has a clue on wtf he is doing. It's really simple.

Knight SHOULD NOT START until he is a PG. Period.

I disagree philosophically as I find that to be an incredibly short-sighted and non-solution oriented attitude to take.

You are defining "hurting the team" in terms of the immediate impact manifested in the form W/L, which frankly may in itself be anywhere from irrelevant to counter-productive depending on your position on building through the draft. And while I believe in putting players in situations where they are able to succeed, you will often accelerate a players development by giving him the necessary court time. He'll learn by playing and making mistakes than he will sitting on the bench.

On top of that you need an alternative solution. If you bench Knight or limit his role what was the alternative? Stuckey? Bynum? Ultimately we did go out and rent Calderon for half a season, but that was as much a financial consideration as anything.

IF you truly want to hold somebody accountable (and this is true pretty much everywhere in life, not just bball) then you give them all the tools, all the resources and put them in situations where they are able to successful. Then if they fail you can say "We gave you this, this and this" instead of them saying "But I had to deal with this, this and this". This is the year to make those things happen. Give Knight the time and support. IF he shows ample development, then you've made a good investment. IF he continues to struggle under those conditions, then you re-evaluate and examine your options moving forward.

But limiting his role because it may cost us a few more Wins, which really aren't going to mean a heck of a lot in the long run anyway, doesn't benefit Knights long-term development and won't benefit us. Look beyond the instant gratification that society teaches and exercise the sort of patience that excellence usually requires. Knight is an investment. So invest in him.

[Liqourish]

Blablabla. He wasn't the only one who was drafted during those circumstances, the truth is, he was horrible for 2 years and was hurting the team badly as our starting PG.

I have absolutely no issues with the guy learning how to play PG and I do understand it takes time, however he should not learn how to play PG at the expense of our team. Come off the bench, play 15 minutes a game until he has a clue on wtf he is doing. It's really simple.

Knight SHOULD NOT START until he is a PG. Period.

I disagree philosophically as I find that to be an incredibly short-sighted and non-solution oriented attitude to take.

You are defining "hurting the team" in terms of the immediate impact manifested in the form W/L, which frankly may in itself be anywhere from irrelevant to counter-productive depending on your position on building through the draft. And while I believe in putting players in situations where they are able to succeed, you will often accelerate a players development by giving him the necessary court time. He'll learn by playing and making mistakes than he will sitting on the bench.

On top of that you need an alternative solution. If you bench Knight or limit his role what was the alternative? Stuckey? Bynum? Ultimately we did go out and rent Calderon for half a season, but that was as much a financial consideration as anything.

IF you truly want to hold somebody accountable (and this is true pretty much everywhere in life, not just bball) then you give them all the tools, all the resources and put them in situations where they are able to successful. Then if they fail you can say "We gave you this, this and this" instead of them saying "But I had to deal with this, this and this". This is the year to make those things happen. Give Knight the time and support. IF he shows ample development, then you've made a good investment. IF he continues to struggle under those conditions, then you re-evaluate and examine your options moving forward.

But limiting his role because it may cost us a few more Wins, which really aren't going to mean a heck of a lot in the long run anyway, doesn't benefit Knights long-term development and won't benefit us. Look beyond the instant gratification that society teaches and exercise the sort of patience that excellence usually requires. Knight is an investment. So invest in him.

Just like old times, I agree with Cow.

[vege]

He doesn't only hurt the team in the W/L he hurt the team as a whole. He has no court vision and is incapable of make a proper pass or create ANYTHING at all.

I remember how pathetic it was when people used to say Knight had low # of assists because he had no shooters around him and then Will Bynum playing with the same players would get 2-3 times more assists than Brandon Knight

He overload Greg Monroe, he hinders Drummond development etc etc. Drummond started playing well when he played with Will Bynum, because Brandon Knight had no clue how to throw an alley-oop.

We still have 8+ million to spend and there are some great options at the point guard in free agency, we should go after one of those options and bring Knight at the bench as a combo guard. Hell both Cheeks and Joe D refer to Knight as a combo guard, they do not believe he is a PG, you guys want a player to succeed so badly that it's unbelieveable.

No one should be more important than the Detroit Pistons. Not Chauncey Billups, Not Rodney Stuckey and definitely not Brandon Knight. For 2 seasons we had the worst starter PG in the league. Enough is enough, he should not start until he proves he can, bring him off the bench and let someone who knows wtf he is doing run the team.

[vege]

That philosophy would be fine if he wasn't paid like a lottery pick. It's why everyone were scratching their heads when Frank didn't start Drummond right away.

Wrong. Drummond was the 2nd best player on the team and the guy starting ahead of him was by far the worst starter. Drummond was outplaying the guy ahead of him in the rotation that's why everyone was scratching their heads when Frank didn't start Drummond, nothing to do with money.

Drummond wasn't expected to play significant minutes at all, he was considered extremely raw, I don't know if you remember but during Summer League he was a disaster on the boards because he had absolutely no idea how to box out.

[mercury]

Now if he can only learn to not telegraph passes... read the defense... penetrate n' dish... not dribble off his feet... think team first b4 chucking... not have a mechincal form... make accurate passes, we might just have something here... good thing he'll have Bynum as a mentor on how to dominate the ball...
soooo you're saying there's a chance???