New York Knicks: It’s too soon to give up on Kevin Knox
Kevin Knox hasn’t quite lived up to expectations through two NBA seasons, but the New York Knicks would be foolish to give up on him so soon.
The New York Knicks have procured the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA Draft on just one occasion since Cazzie Russell was the pick in 1966. That instance, of course, was when the Knicks selected Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing at No. 1 in 1985.
Unfortunately for players like Kevin Knox, that makes the ability to select a prospect in the Top 10 of an NBA Draft all the more significant for this once prominent franchise.
New York has only recently embraced the NBA Draft as a valid option for a potential return to prominence. It started with oft-maligned team president Phil Jackson, whose missteps tend to overshadow his crucial decision to retain all future first-round draft picks.
Current Knicks general manager Scott Perry has continued that tradition, utilizing 2018 and 2019 first-round draft picks to add a long-awaited dose of perimeter talent to the roster.
Perry’s first opportunity to draft future franchise cornerstones resulted in New York selecting Knox at No. 9 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Clearly, No. 9 isn’t a spot that the top prospects in a draft class are expected to reach.
However, the NBA is rich with All-NBA players who were drafted at or after No. 9—including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George.
While it may be unwise to place the expectation of All-NBA greatness on Knox, it’s certainly fair to believe that he should be a high-quality starter. That’s supported by the fact that New York’s 2018 second-round draft pick, Mitchell Robinson, already looks the part.
Thankfully, there are signs that Knox is developing into a player who can help the Knicks return to relevance—even if they’re not as obvious as one would like them to be.
The Bad and The Ugly
Any discussion about the good would be incomplete without at least acknowledging the bad and the ugly. For Knox, there have been an abundance of negative occurrences during the 2019-20 regular season—all of which can be seen on the stat sheet.
That starts with the fact that Knox’s production is down in almost every regard.
Knox finished his rookie season with averages of 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per game. Moreover: He averaged 16.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
In 2019-20, those averages have plummeted on a per-game basis and slipped in a concerning manner at a rate of per 36.
Knox is averaging just 6.4 points per game in 2019-20—half of his 2018-19 scoring output. His minutes have admittedly been cut, but he’s also averaging 3.2 fewer points per 36 minutes at 12.9—on a slash line of .359/.327/.653.
Knowing this to be true, it’s understandable for Knicks fans to voice their doubts and concerns—even if the hope is for Knox to succeed.
The Context
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative, but it would be foolish to do so without providing context. The context in the curious case of Kevin Knox, of course, is that he’s struggled to remain on the court in 2019-20.
For a young player who hasn’t yet found his NBA role or rhythm, it’s a fool’s errand to expect a drastic decrease in playing time to result in increased efficiency.
Over the course of 65 appearances, Knox has averaged 17.9 minutes played per game. One could easily point to his defensive inconsistency as the reason for this decision, albeit while acknowledging how it conflicts with the philosophy that was employed and enforced in 2018-19.
Nevertheless, the clear and apparent context is that a scorer without a go-to skill is unlikely to find an efficient place in the rotation if their role is this severely limited.
The defense of this decision is easy to uncover. The 1970s and 1990s are the unquestioned best decades in franchise history—all due respect to the 1950s—and the teams built in those eras were focused on one key principle above all else: Constant effort on defense.
As such, Knox will need to take accountability and come back as a far more committed defender in order to solidify his place in the rotation—which is exactly how it should be.
The Good
Acknowledging the bad, the ugly, and the context, it’s now time to focus on the good. For Kevin Knox, the good is simply this: When he actually received playing time, the results were fairly compelling on the offensive end of the floor.
During the 23 games in which Knox played at least 20 minutes, the former Kentucky Wildcats standout showed the potential we’ve all been hoping to see.
Over the course of those 23 appearances, Knox averaged 9.7 points in 24.0 minutes per game—or 14.5 points per 36 minutes. More importantly: He shot 39.8 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Neither figure is especially elite, but a 20-year-old knocking down 35 percent of his three-point field goal attempts is an encouraging sign—especially on a team with uncertainty at point guard.
Furthermore, the Knicks’ defensive rating is actually 3.9 points per 100 possessions better when Knox is on the floor than when he isn’t. That illustrates the growth on defense that the team will need him to build upon, but should be pleased with nonetheless.
If this still isn’t enough for you, then simply remind yourself: Knox is a 20-year-old in his second NBA season.
Development requires patience.
Next. Compelling 2020 NBA Draft prospects. dark
The question is: Can Kevin Knox eliminate the bad and the ugly for the New York Knicks in 2020-21?