New York Knicks: Who stepped up in narrow loss to Pelicans?

Kevin Knox

Stat Line: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4-for-9 shooting (3-for-6 on three-pointers)

Kevin Knox received just his second start with the New York Knicks, after opening the year on the bench and suffering a sprained ankle. Subpar shooting performances overwhelmed his first games, but Friday represented an improvement.

Unlike Wednesday’s game, head coach David Fizdale had Knox as the stretch four. He played next to Mitchell Robinson, rather than the traditional two-big lineup that had Noah Vonleh.

The Knicks looked sprier to start, pushing the ball as Fizdale once desired. He recognized the team’s pace being amongst the worst in the NBA and made changes to adjust to this, starting with Emmanuel Mudiay replacing Frank Ntilikina.

This included Knox in the starting lineup, but as the prototypical three. He’s now the “power forward” and can space the floor, much like Friday, with three made shots from behind the arc.

Knox also did this on 4-for-9 shooting or 44 percent — one of his best marks of the season. It’s hardly elite, but an improvement over his 32.5 percent entering the Pelicans game.

This can continue against the Orlando Magic. Though Aaron Gordon will provide a worthy matchup that provides Knox some trouble, given his athleticism.

It’s a move in the right direction for New York’s first-round pick. There’s still a long way to go, but nights like this should offer hope for better consistency from the field.