Fort Knox: A defense of Kevin Knox

[dakomish23]

Who’s given up on him?

Me

I’ll drive him to NO

And I’ll ride shotgun in that scenario.

But in general I feel it’s wayyyyyyy too early to give up on the kid. I’m not even one of these folks who went over the top comparing him to Durant.

[MaseInYourFace]

He's no Mitchell Robinson. Knox will be a solid pro in a few years...but I dont think he'll ever be a star. He's just so inefficient; his shot selection is poor, he doesn't make plays for others, and he's bad on defense

But at least we got Mitch who IMO could be a all-star. He's so incredibly efficient and he's perfect for today's NBA as a rim protector/rim runner. I can't believe he is so good so quickly, despite not playing college bball. Mitch was the deal gem of the draft and if it came down to it I'd keep him in a heartbeat over Knox. IMO it'd be a mistake to trade Mitch b/c he can be a all-star. I'm excited to see what's to come from him as he gets more comfortable and fills out his frame.

....and to think he'd be so good after seeing that DX interview when he was asked what kinda player he was and he responded...."probably...be like chill...kinda." I love the kid, he's gold

Love Mitch but he's as limited offensively right now nearly as much as Knox is defensively.

Well...maybe not, but they're both projects. Mitch has the benefit of being good defensively while being offensively limited is no longer as bad a thing as it used to be, from the C position.

NBA sort of interesting now. In lots of 19 year olds getting drafted, and soon 18 year olds, teams are going to draft projects who quite often aren't getting their sh*t together until the time their contract is up - and possibly not even the finished product, even then.

So, they'll be some guessing/analysis around guys like KP level guys, where "Is this basically what he is, or will he be a lot more" and is the max cat deal worth it or not.

Lower level guys like Knox or Frank etc there's gambles a well, but I guess the financial implications aren't as bad.
Then again, the Knicks basically were the team to take the incorrect flyer on THJr at that time - more or less. Not exactly the same.

Scouting and philosophy of system matters as much or more than ever.

I wonder if the CBA will change, driven as much by owners, as players. I mean, all good for the owners in that they get 4 or 5 cheap years, but interesting if there's any thoughts around it, especially with the soon to be influx of 18 year olds.

It’s tricky because for every project type there are a few that are pretty ready or get to a high level within a few years. I do think nba should consider restructuring contracts so maybe guys aren’t truly making the big bucks until a little further in but then that wouldn’t be fair to guys that get to high level relatively quickly.

[NYKAL]

I won't judge him till mid season 2nd year. Same as I've done with Frank. If he doesn't show noticeable improvement then I will agree. For the record, I wanted Bridges.

I agree with the posters saying he should be in the G-League. Not like he's playing better than those playing in the G-League right now.

[Lord Commander]

I don't expect much from Knox. I know he's a 19 y/o rook but the flashes and attributes just aren't there IMHO. He just looks awkward and unskilled to me, Even when his shot falls, I get the sense that they were lucky makes. I hope I'm wrong but I guess it won't matter, he's getting traded in a package deal.

[Stannis]

Oh, he's goink to NOLA. I hope he likes crayfish and jazz.

NOLA wants picks not low tier prospects. They didn't pull the trigger on the LAL trade even though they were getting loads of "prospects".

[Spree2Houston]

That dunk on Simmons was a grown mans move. He shows flashes of his potential and he won Rookie of the Month in December. We all know he's going to work hard this summer to get better. Let's give him some time.

[awy]

idk what he’s been working on on offense. fiz just sends him out to jack up random shots without much of a visible plan on skills he’s supposed to be developing.

knox is taking a ton of long 2’s on which he’s shooting 27%, and he’s finishing layups at a 37% clip. he still has no left hand finishing. he’s said to have a good hook but thats not a good shot because of lack of fouls, and he’s shooting 37% on hooks.

these are some ugly numbers that should be improving if he’s to have a good career. maybe after an offseason of workouts and gaining strength he’ll look better, but part of the bad finishing is lack of touch around the rim. his layups are more flailing rather than finding angles etc.

[isiah_thomas]

He's no Mitchell Robinson. Knox will be a solid pro in a few years...but I dont think he'll ever be a star. He's just so inefficient; his shot selection is poor, he doesn't make plays for others, and he's bad on defense

But at least we got Mitch who IMO could be a all-star. He's so incredibly efficient and he's perfect for today's NBA as a rim protector/rim runner. I can't believe he is so good so quickly, despite not playing college bball. Mitch was the deal gem of the draft and if it came down to it I'd keep him in a heartbeat over Knox. IMO it'd be a mistake to trade Mitch b/c he can be a all-star. I'm excited to see what's to come from him as he gets more comfortable and fills out his frame.

....and to think he'd be so good after seeing that DX interview when he was asked what kinda player he was and he responded...."probably...be like chill...kinda." I love the kid, he's gold

Love Mitch but he's as limited offensively right now nearly as much as Knox is defensively.

Well...maybe not, but they're both projects. Mitch has the benefit of being good defensively while being offensively limited is no longer as bad a thing as it used to be, from the C position.

NBA sort of interesting now. In lots of 19 year olds getting drafted, and soon 18 year olds, teams are going to draft projects who quite often aren't getting their sh*t together until the time their contract is up - and possibly not even the finished product, even then.

So, they'll be some guessing/analysis around guys like KP level guys, where "Is this basically what he is, or will he be a lot more" and is the max cat deal worth it or not.

Lower level guys like Knox or Frank etc there's gambles a well, but I guess the financial implications aren't as bad.
Then again, the Knicks basically were the team to take the incorrect flyer on THJr at that time - more or less. Not exactly the same.

Scouting and philosophy of system matters as much or more than ever.

I wonder if the CBA will change, driven as much by owners, as players. I mean, all good for the owners in that they get 4 or 5 cheap years, but interesting if there's any thoughts around it, especially with the soon to be influx of 18 year olds.

Thing is even though though I would like to see Mitch get a jumper he doesn't need it to be a good NBA center. Defense is way more iimportant at that position than offense

Knox is terrible on both ends

[BeagleBoss]

Not worried about Knox at all. He'll be a good player. I don't think he'll be a SuperStar but he'll be a complimentary scorer. Kind of like Cliff Robinson.

[GONYK]

What's there to give up on or be worried about?

He's 19

[Jalen Bluntson]

People giving up on a 19 yr old late lottery pick? who says you can't rebuild in NY?

[Icandoallthings]

The guy needs to spend time in the d league. Pretty much all there is to say about him at this point.

[ChaosHamster]

The issue with Knox is he needs to improve immensely to see any significant time next season. With KD there is no time for rebuilding and developing.

[MaseInYourFace]

idk what he’s been working on on offense. fiz just sends him out to jack up random shots without much of a visible plan on skills he’s supposed to be developing.

knox is taking a ton of long 2’s on which he’s shooting 27%, and he’s finishing layups at a 37% clip. he still has no left hand finishing. he’s said to have a good hook but thats not a good shot because of lack of fouls, and he’s shooting 37% on hooks.

these are some ugly numbers that should be improving if he’s to have a good career. maybe after an offseason of workouts and gaining strength he’ll look better, but part of the bad finishing is lack of touch around the rim. his layups are more flailing rather than finding angles etc.

Tbf he did improve quite a bit from early in the season where he looked overwhelmed and lost. I know a lot of that is probably getting used to nba game but it does feel like Fizdale has coached him up a bit. I encourage you to go back and watch his first set of games.

[whocares1]

idk what he’s been working on on offense. fiz just sends him out to jack up random shots without much of a visible plan on skills he’s supposed to be developing.

knox is taking a ton of long 2’s on which he’s shooting 27%, and he’s finishing layups at a 37% clip. he still has no left hand finishing. he’s said to have a good hook but thats not a good shot because of lack of fouls, and he’s shooting 37% on hooks.

these are some ugly numbers that should be improving if he’s to have a good career. maybe after an offseason of workouts and gaining strength he’ll look better, but part of the bad finishing is lack of touch around the rim. his layups are more flailing rather than finding angles etc.

He takes plenty of good looks. There’s a reason why he was hot in December. He’s missing 5-8 wide open shots a game. He isn’t a good shooter yet. It’s not about the schemes, Kevin just isn’t good right now.

[MaseInYourFace]

I don't expect much from Knox. I know he's a 19 y/o rook but the flashes and attributes just aren't there IMHO. He just looks awkward and unskilled to me, Even when his shot falls, I get the sense that they were lucky makes. I hope I'm wrong but I guess it won't matter, he's getting traded in a package deal.

His jumper is pretty solid mechanically. He also has a pretty decent floater which guys his age usually don’t have yet.

[DE FENSE]

I don't like his body language a lot of the time but I think that's a maturity issue. Once his head catches up to his body, he's gonna come into his own. I think he'll be fine eventually. He's just a kid right now.

[SmoothLefty21]

I don't like his body language a lot of the time but I think that's a maturity issue. Once his head catches up to his body, he's gonna come into his own. I think he'll be fine eventually. He's just a kid right now.

His immaturity is a glaring weakness right now. He's 19 and he acts like it. He puts his head down and looks dejected so often. It's not the end of the world but it's something to keep an eye on. I don't think he has an issue with his motor, I think it's more an issue of mental toughness. I guess it can be argued that it's one and the same.

[Jeff Van Gully]

The issue with Knox is he needs to improve immensely to see any significant time next season. With KD there is no time for rebuilding and developing.

tad presumptuous there, no?

[KOA]

It's amazing to me that people keep pointing to his age as if that means anything. There's players who are young, have a strong skill-set, and continuously improve and get better. Then there are players like Kevin Knox. I doubt he gets a contract past his rookie deal. He's that bad...