NY Knicks: 3 goals Tom Thibodeau should set for Kevin Knox

How Tom Thibodeau can help unlock New York Knicks Kevin Knox.

Kevin Knox, by almost all standards, did not have the sophomore season that he or the New York Knicks expected. Knox’s stats decreased almost across the board from his rookie campaign. After starting 57 games as a rookie, most of them as the Knicks’ stretch four, Knox mostly came off the bench due to the Marcus Morris and Julius Randle free agent acquisitions.

It’s fair to say the sophomore had a difficult transition adjusting to both reserve minutes and increased expectations to win games. He went from defending 4s to defending 3s. The fluctuating minutes only hurt his offensive performance, stymied his defensive effort, and dampened his confidence.

With an extended offseason due to COVID-19, Knox has the time to not only look back at his struggling moments, but also establish confidence in his abilities as a basketball player.

His athleticism – 6’7 height (6’9 with shoes) and 6’11 wingspan – and shooting form led him to Kentucky under the tutelage of John Calipari. Those factors, along with his age, helped him become a consensus lottery pick. It was long known that Knox required patience and development to become the full form version of himself. Why fans continue to remain disappointed is still a mystery.

While coach Tom Thibodeau’s focal points might be Mitchell Robinson & RJ Barrett – as mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Thibs Files – it’s important not to underscore the importance of developing Kevin Knox. The Kenny Payne hire certainly reinforces Knox’s importance to the franchise. Knox’s development comes with the combination of consistent role and diligent coaching. If given the opportunity, Knox has the capabilities of becoming a rotation player in the NBA.

Here are 3 specific goals that Tom Thibodeau should set to achieve with Kevin Knox.

1) Tweak Kevin Knox’s 3 point shot profile

Kevin Knox had an interesting shot profile during the 2019-20 season. Per NBA Stats, almost half of Knox’s shots came from behind the three-point arc. Knox shot 36% from the field, which is pitiful by any NBA standard. His 39% from 2 is only low due to the fact that he shot less than 33% on 80% of his 2-point field goal attempts. The main driver of Knox’s low FG% is that he shot 33% from three. However, Knox’s shot profile of his threes that raises a lot of curiosity in the context of the modern NBA.

Per NBA Shot Charts (a site created by Ryan Davis), here is Knox’s overall shot chart:

In 65 games, Knox averaged 1 made three/game on 3.1 attempts. Of the 3.1 attempts, almost 2.5 attempts were catch-and-shoot threes. This falls in line with Knox’s overall shot profile, especially since 92% of his threes come off assists. Interestingly enough, 2.5 of those 3 attempts are catch-and-shoot jump shots.

Interestingly, Knox was a below average scorer off the catch in all capacities. Knox shot 31% from catch-and-shoot 3s, yet he shot 43% from pull-up threes (albeit with a limited sample size of 0.5 threes/game). Had Knox attempted more pull-up threes, he would have been in the top 5 amongst all qualifying players. With 1 or 2 dribbles, Knox shot 42% and a whopping 67% from three, respectively.

Coincidentally, many of those pull-up attempts came up from the strong-side wing, which actually ended up being one of his most preferred and proficient three-point zones. Of 61 attempts, Knox made 25 threes for a 41% clip, which is an above average percentage for a 20-year-old sophomore. Knox only attempted more shots from the weak side (left) wing where he attempted 65 shots, but only made 22 threes (33%). If there’s any solace to a disappointing season, Knox’s three-point shooting from the wings is already at or above league average with even more room for improvement.

Because of the above, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Knox struggles from shooting corner 3s. Knox attempted 25% of his threes from the corner, but only at a 27% clip, which is well below average compared to his perimeter-oriented counterparts. The corner 3-point shot should be made around 35-37%, at the bare minimum, to be considered a great perimeter scorer.

For Knox to jumpstart his development, he should continue to capitalize on hitting threes from the strong side wing. Thibs should consider developing sets to get Knox more opportunities there. Additionally, Knox should be given more opportunities to take pull up threes. When Knox takes a couple dribbles, he’s able to make open threes at above a league average rate.

Furthermore, Thibs should motivate Knox to improve his percentages from corner 3. Improving the corner 3 also helps unlock opportunities for Knox to become an off-ball threat. Knox can then utilize UCLA cuts to get open layups or dunks.

2) Improve Kevin Knox’s footwork

If Kevin Knox could set one goal this offseason, it should be to strengthen his lower body to improve his footwork. His poor footwork was ever so evident on both ends of the floor. On offense, it led to many weak drives – and misses – around the rim. Knox shot 32.2% on drives, which was beyond terrible, yet somehow only the second worst mark on the Knicks roster above Moe Harkless. It’s true that poor footwork can be result of genetics and body frame, but some issues are correctable.

Because of these awkward misses, Knox is often out of position when either attempting to grab an offensive rebound or running back on defense. As a result, the Knicks’ defensive floor spacing is off balance, resulting in an easy layup or open three for the opposition.

A lack of defensive intensity plagued Knox over his first two seasons. He easily gets lost on defense, especially off-the-ball. What compounds the issue is that his feet are often planted flat on the court, thus giving him very little flexibility to use his athleticism to catch his opponents. This result is easy blow-by layups or just wide open threes due to poor defensive rotations.

Footwork can help solve some of his issues on both ends of the floor. On the defensive end, it can allow him to use his 6’11 wingspan to actually disrupt a play. Being in the proper position can mitigate instances when the opponent tries to drive past him. On the offensive end, proper footwork is the difference between a made basket or an easy transition basket for the opponent.

3) Improve Kevin Knox’s rebounding

Part of becoming a better defender – or a better defense from a team perspective – is learning how to secure rebounds on both ends of the floor. Securing offensive rebounds helps avoid fast break opportunities the other way due to uneven floor spacing. Securing defensive rebounds helps reduce easy second chance scoring opportunities.

Kevin Knox did neither of those two during the first two seasons of his career. Knox averaged a paltry 2.8 rebounds/game off the bench (or 5.7 rebounds/36 minutes). His rebounding percentage of 7.2% ranks around the same level as reserve point guards in the NBA. To keep it honest, these numbers do not look good in any capacity for any forward in the NBA.

Time after time, the NBA gods punish teams who aren’t able to secure rebounds. The 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs were one rebound away from winning the 2013 NBA Finals. With Knox’s ability to be a stretch forward in the NBA, it’s equally imperative to secure rebounds to get out in transition and exploit his talents as a potentially elite perimeter shooter.

Part of the improvement can come with increasing strength – especially lower body strength – in the offseason. Lower body strength will help Knox with boxing out his opponents. Additionally, proper technique and footwork can also abet with becoming a better rebounder over time.

Thibs must help reinforce the importance of rebounding into Kevin Knox. Perhaps Thibs can help instill the voracity for grabbing boards akin to his days as a player at New Britain High School.