Fort Knox: A defense of Kevin Knox

[thebuzzardman]

I guess all he do is play video games -Clowns

More brolic than KP

[Chanel Bomber]

Look how much hate this kid got. Same impatient people with all the other kids.

Rinse & repeat.

I’m all for the youth movement and I was against the free agency plan for that very reason but we don’t have to believe in every young player on the roster... imo. Suns fans online were hella defensive about their lottery picks until they all got traded away because they were busts and not deserving of their blind faith. This may very well happen to the Knicks, although I’m not advocating trades at this stage.

Personally, my beef with Knox wasn’t about his level of play but his lack of intangibles - selfish play, lack of effort, poor body language - and I feel like he deserved to be called out for that. Hopefully the competition with Morris, Randle and Bullock lights a fire under him. It’s not too late for him to change his approach and his talent is undeniable but he needs to start playing harder and less selfishly this upcoming season. I’m certainly impatient in that regard.

[stuporman]

Knox does have a boxer's face tho.......

[j4remi]

Look how much hate this kid got. Same impatient people with all the other kids.

Rinse & repeat.

I’m all for the youth movement and I was against the free agency plan for that very reason but we don’t have to believe in every young player on the roster... imo. Suns fans online were hella defensive about their lottery picks until they all got traded away because they were busts and not deserving of their blind faith. This may very well happen to the Knicks, although I’m not advocating trades at this stage.

Personally, my beef with Knox wasn’t about his level of play but his lack of intangibles - selfish play, lack of effort, poor body language - and I feel like he deserved to be called out for that. Hopefully the competition with Morris, Randle and Bullock lights a fire under him. It’s not too late for him to change his approach and his talent is undeniable but he needs to start playing harder and less selfishly this upcoming season. I’m certainly impatient in that regard.

I agree with these criticisms but also would add that I really felt he looked more mentally tuned in through the summer league games this year than at most points last season. That and his balance being better (in summer league) have me a lot higher on him than it seems a big chunk of posters are. The two things he's got going for him are an incredible set of tools (moreso than most of our other young guys imo) and a lot of time being so young. Hopefully maturity comes quickly and I definitely think the combination of vets we've brought in will prove beneficial for him especially. 6'10 with one of the smoothest releases I can think of at that size plus enough agility to attack the lane and draw fouls as long as he stays under control...I think efficiency will come. Now awareness and defensive play are the two that will make or break him which I don't have certainty on; but as young as he is and surrounded by the vets you've mentioned, I'm cautiously optimistic.

[malik959]

I would be happy if two of our kids turned out to be stars, my bet goes to both Barrett and DSJ, while the others become decent role players. So here's my order and how I feel what players they will turn out to be like

1) Barrett - Grant Hill - was never know as a shooter, he would kill you by getting to the rim or even hitting pull ups from the free throw line. He was never a 3pt specialist, but you can put the ball in his hands coast to coast and he'll make great decisions for your team. Never had to rely on athleticism even before he blew his knee.

2) DSJ - Stevie Franchise - Also never know as a shooter, but had this extra gear that gave him the ability to get around any defender he chose. But, He relied heavily on his athleticism and after a while that caught up to him..... well that and a lot of emotional family issues that he went through.

3) Mitch - Camby - People always bring up D.Jordan, but I'm sorry DJ was never this good on defense. Mitch gives me the same vibe I use to get when watching Camby. Just knowing that he could guard anyone that steps in front of him, knowing that on a pick and roll it's pretty much an automatic 2pts.

4) Knox - Tobias Harris - Their games are so similar it's ridiculous. Now to me Knox is the player I am most hyped about because I like his work ethic and see that this kid wants to be great. His biggest problem was consistency and most rookies go through that. Now I don't feel he will become that star , but a player that will walk that borderline of becoming one.

5) Frank - Mookie Blaylock. Although Mookie was only 6ft both he and Frank share a lot of similarities. Actually Frank at this stage was the better shooter. Blaylock didn't start to show an offensive game until he moved from NJ to ATL.

6) Trier - Lou Williams - Instant offense and battle for 6th man every year. But, will never be looked at as a starter.

7) Iggy - Wally World - During the summer league I could have sworn Iggy was Wally's son. their games are just that similar.

[Capn'O]

I actually expect Knox to be much much better this season. Strength was a huge problem for him last season and hindered him with being able to keep his balance when shooting and his lack of explosiveness (why he got better as the season went along)...and he looks a lot stronger now. And honestly, not only does he look bigger than he did last season but he actually looks taller to me. There was a lot of talk that Knox was still growing and could end up somewhere in the 6'10"-6'11" range so I would not be surprised if he's already on the higher side of 6'10". If so, then that's pretty damn good for a SF. Knox can shoot. He's shown that. His shooting was inconsistent but IMO a lot of that had to do with some mix of deer-in-the-headlights and his lack of strength. He's clearly stronger and the expectation (hope) is that the newness of the game is a lot less. I'm honestly more excited about watching how Knox does than anyone else and that he's the one that is set to explode the most among the Knicks young players.

I expect a lot more regular displays of what he showed in December when he won Rookie of the Month. Imagine what a taller, stronger, more experience and explosive Knox can do? A lot of the layups in the highlight vid would be powerful dunks IMO.

Watch on YouTube

The kid is gonna be able to score. It's the everything else I worry about. Mostly, making good reads on both ends. That aspect was very raw and I want to see significant strides there this year.

[Capn'O]

1) Barrett - Grant Hill

A Dukie and a #3 pick too.



I hadn't thought of him but that's exactly who he reminds me of. In general, those were great high upside comps.

[aq_ua]

I guess all he do is play video games -Clowns

He must really be smashing those controller buttons.

[NYKAL]

I watched a couple of the summer league games last night and I didn't remember Knox having as many assists at the time. He was passing better (not great) than at any point last season. Nice lobs to Mitch and a couple of ones that led to corner 3's.

[Jose7]

this guy should not be getting more than 20 minutes a game until he shows he can be more efficient offensively and not a turn style on defense.

[will]

Let's see some progress this season. Realistic steps.

[Indomitable]

1) Barrett - Grant Hill

A Dukie and a #3 pick too.



I hadn't thought of him but that's exactly who he reminds me of. In general, those were great high upside comps.

Barret dreams of moving like pre injuried Hill. He had one of the best first steps and a killer cross over. Barret is not elite athletically.

[thebuzzardman]

I watched a couple of the summer league games last night and I didn't remember Knox having as many assists at the time. He was passing better (not great) than at any point last season. Nice lobs to Mitch and a couple of ones that led to corner 3's.

I thought that in his first summer league, Knox showed good acumen and feel in the P&R, made some nice passes etc.

I was hoping they'd let him do that in the season.


They rarely let him do that in the season.

[Jeff Van Gully]

should be less pressure for knox to produce with the depth at F. hopefully this is an opportunity for him to let the game come to him and work on the intangibles.

[moocow007]

Look how much hate this kid got. Same impatient people with all the other kids.

Rinse & repeat.

I’m all for the youth movement and I was against the free agency plan for that very reason but we don’t have to believe in every young player on the roster... imo. Suns fans online were hella defensive about their lottery picks until they all got traded away because they were busts and not deserving of their blind faith. This may very well happen to the Knicks, although I’m not advocating trades at this stage.

Personally, my beef with Knox wasn’t about his level of play but his lack of intangibles - selfish play, lack of effort, poor body language - and I feel like he deserved to be called out for that. Hopefully the competition with Morris, Randle and Bullock lights a fire under him. It’s not too late for him to change his approach and his talent is undeniable but he needs to start playing harder and less selfishly this upcoming season. I’m certainly impatient in that regard.

He was one of the youngest players in the league and it was clear that physically he wasn't strong enough to handle playing in the NBA. It was a problem for him at Kentucky too. IMO a big reason for his uneven play. If you watch him play you'll see bouts of explosive play followed by him disappearing into the woodwork almost as if he's gassed. In fact he looked gassed during games last season. He also wasn't as explosive as he should be and strength is huge in how explosive a player you are. Based on all reports and how he looks recently it's clear that he's been working on his strength and conditioning. So I would expect a significant uptick.

[moocow007]

I actually expect Knox to be much much better this season. Strength was a huge problem for him last season and hindered him with being able to keep his balance when shooting and his lack of explosiveness (why he got better as the season went along)...and he looks a lot stronger now. And honestly, not only does he look bigger than he did last season but he actually looks taller to me. There was a lot of talk that Knox was still growing and could end up somewhere in the 6'10"-6'11" range so I would not be surprised if he's already on the higher side of 6'10". If so, then that's pretty damn good for a SF. Knox can shoot. He's shown that. His shooting was inconsistent but IMO a lot of that had to do with some mix of deer-in-the-headlights and his lack of strength. He's clearly stronger and the expectation (hope) is that the newness of the game is a lot less. I'm honestly more excited about watching how Knox does than anyone else and that he's the one that is set to explode the most among the Knicks young players.

I expect a lot more regular displays of what he showed in December when he won Rookie of the Month. Imagine what a taller, stronger, more experience and explosive Knox can do? A lot of the layups in the highlight vid would be powerful dunks IMO.

Watch on YouTube

The kid is gonna be able to score. It's the everything else I worry about. Mostly, making good reads on both ends. That aspect was very raw and I want to see significant strides there this year.

I think he needs to just focus on playing more aggressive. Rebound the ball. Run the floor. Challenge shots. All those things require that he be stronger and in better physical condition. Does appear that he's been focused on getting stronger and working on his conditioning. Those are the things the Greek Freak focused on early on in his career and it helped transform him into a intimidating presence on the floor. He doesn't have the GF's overall skills but he can impact the game just by being consistent. IMO his shooting woes and generally up and down play last season had a lot to do with him just not being strong enough and conditioned enough to play that many games and those many minutes. When you get bounced around, when you can't hold your ground, when you can't play long minutes without being winded, it's hard for you to do well in the NBA.

[Quadruple H]

Remember when Knox was lighting up summer league, and a bunch of Knicks fans were labeling him the Batman to KP's Robin? Lol

I say this to highlight how talented he actually is. One very up and down rookie year isn't going to wash away my excitement for the young man. It's fun to think he will improve a lot over the next few seasons, at his size, and with that sweet looking stroke from 3. He's not an elite athlete, but he looked like a beast dunking on fools in SL. He's got a lot of size and still growing, and will continue to add muscle mass and grown man strength.

Just think about how much young talent the Knicks have. They're sort of loaded, especially compared to "young" Knicks teams over the last decade or so. I was always easily hyped for the Nate/Lee/Frye and Gallo/Chandler/Mozgov lineups of the world. But when I look down this roster, it's much more impressive than those teams.

RJ, Mitch, DSJ, Knox, Iggy, Frank, Trier, Dotson. Plus Randle who is only 24 and looks like he could be in the all-star game this year. Peyton and Portis are still young but serviceable. Plus Morris who is proven.

Oof. Fiz has his work cut out for him this year. Can't wait to see how this all fits together and how many of these guys can carve out a long term role in NY. I expect to be entertained.

STFU

[Nazrmohamed]

Look how much hate this kid got. Same impatient people with all the other kids.

Rinse & repeat.

I’m all for the youth movement and I was against the free agency plan for that very reason but we don’t have to believe in every young player on the roster... imo. Suns fans online were hella defensive about their lottery picks until they all got traded away because they were busts and not deserving of their blind faith. This may very well happen to the Knicks, although I’m not advocating trades at this stage.

Personally, my beef with Knox wasn’t about his level of play but his lack of intangibles - selfish play, lack of effort, poor body language - and I feel like he deserved to be called out for that. Hopefully the competition with Morris, Randle and Bullock lights a fire under him. It’s not too late for him to change his approach and his talent is undeniable but he needs to start playing harder and less selfishly this upcoming season. I’m certainly impatient in that regard.

Perfectly said. Knox last year was the type of player last year where when his offense was going looked every bit of what his potential stated but that was like once every 4 games and the rest he was utter trash. Why because offense was the only way he attempted to impact the game and at his age and game maturity level it's not uncommon to be inconsistent offensively but effort should be there throughout that process

[br7knicks]

Look how much hate this kid got. Same impatient people with all the other kids.

Rinse & repeat.

I’m all for the youth movement and I was against the free agency plan for that very reason but we don’t have to believe in every young player on the roster... imo. Suns fans online were hella defensive about their lottery picks until they all got traded away because they were busts and not deserving of their blind faith. This may very well happen to the Knicks, although I’m not advocating trades at this stage.

Personally, my beef with Knox wasn’t about his level of play but his lack of intangibles - selfish play, lack of effort, poor body language - and I feel like he deserved to be called out for that. Hopefully the competition with Morris, Randle and Bullock lights a fire under him. It’s not too late for him to change his approach and his talent is undeniable but he needs to start playing harder and less selfishly this upcoming season. I’m certainly impatient in that regard.

as all us of knicks fans should be. tired of the same old **** type of players coming in.


but knox did look improved over SL. we'll see if he's learned or not

[Sark]

Look how much hate this kid got. Same impatient people with all the other kids.

Rinse & repeat.

I’m all for the youth movement and I was against the free agency plan for that very reason but we don’t have to believe in every young player on the roster... imo. Suns fans online were hella defensive about their lottery picks until they all got traded away because they were busts and not deserving of their blind faith. This may very well happen to the Knicks, although I’m not advocating trades at this stage.

Personally, my beef with Knox wasn’t about his level of play but his lack of intangibles - selfish play, lack of effort, poor body language - and I feel like he deserved to be called out for that. Hopefully the competition with Morris, Randle and Bullock lights a fire under him. It’s not too late for him to change his approach and his talent is undeniable but he needs to start playing harder and less selfishly this upcoming season. I’m certainly impatient in that regard.

as all us of knicks fans should be. tired of the same old **** type of players coming in.


but knox did look improved over SL. we'll see if he's learned or not

He did? I don't know about that. He was better in last year's SL. Wasn't he MVP, or did someone else win? I know this board was hyping him up like crazy. I remember being called a hater for thinking he would score about 15ppg.