Jonathon Wasserman had a recent article on best/worst case for some younger players that was pretty good. I agree with his take on Knox. He can/should get better, but even as a best case might just be a scoring specialist off the bench....needs more minutes as a stretch 4. Also covered Frank and DSJ...
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2889449-best-and-worst-case-scenarios-for-nbas-unproven-youthBest case
The New York Knicks have done little to aid in Kevin Knox II's development. They dramatically reduced his minutes last year, and since they added a handful of power forwards in free agency, he's played the 3 for 77 percent of his possessions.
The best-case scenario is Knox turns into a stretch 4 who creates mismatches for bigs with his shooting range and face-up play. But to get there, something needs to happen with his shot. His shooting numbers were disappointing in 2019-20: 32.7 percent from three, 31.0 percent catch-and-shoot, 31.3 percent off the dribble.
But the makes still looked good on his high-arching shot, and given his age, there is still enough room for optimism with his consistency. The 2018 ninth overall pick just may require a more consistent role to build some rhythm/confidence, whether it's with the Knicks or another team. If he receives one and his shooting numbers start to improve, Knox may turn into a more valued 6'9" 4 who can stretch the floor.
He's also flashed the ability to attack closeouts and use the runner for scoring in the lane, so he's not just a one-dimensional perimeter threat.
His ceiling doesn't appear to be as high as it did on draft night, given how badly he's struggled to create and finish. He was never proficient at generating his own offense, even dating back to his freshman year at Kentucky. So it's more realistic to expect a best-case Knox being valued exclusively for his shotmaking off spot-ups, screens, quick pull-ups and runners in the lane.
It is not reasonable to expect isolation scoring or playmaking to become part of Knox's offensive package.
Defensively, Knox was bad early, but he made some progress in 2019-20. He has the body, mobility and reputation for work ethic to become a serviceable defender as his IQ and awareness grow.
Overall, if Knox hits his upside, he would be a shot-making specialist, possibly one worth starting on the right team that needs offense and has creators, passers and rim protection. Projecting him as a bench scorer is more realistic.
Worst case
Worst case, Knox can't improve on his poor finishing feel in traffic (38.1 percent around the basket), and he continues to struggle with shooting inconsistency. If that's the case, a good team wouldn't have any use for him.
The Knicks still have incentive to find minutes for Knox to develop. But New York's poor spacing, plus Julius Randle's presence, makes it difficult to picture the team's 2018 lottery pick making a big jump.
His floor is benchwarmer low, but at the least, it's reasonable to expect Knox to improve his jumper just enough to remain relevant, given teams' interest in shooting bigs.
