New York Knicks: Where does Kevin Knox fit?

Kevin Knox: Looking ahead to 2020-2021

I’ve already touched on the Knicks roster and the lack of any superior talent at small forward. There could be a lot of roster and rotation shuffling as the season goes on.

We have no idea how Tom Thibodeau and his staff plan to use Knox this season, but it shouldn’t be difficult for him to find playing time.

If Knox has anything currently going for him, it’s his sweet-looking jump shot. Despite only knocking down just under 33% of his threes last season, Knox’s shooting form and off-the-bounce shooting ability are qualities to be optimistic about.

Looking deeper in last season’s stats, you’ll find peculiar, inexplicable numbers about Kevin Knox. He shot a lowly 31% on catch-and-shoot threes, but an outstanding 43% when shooting pull-up three-pointers (Three-pointers shot off-the-dribble.) How does one explain that?

Is it a confidence thing? Floor spacing issues? Probably both.

Knox seems to settle for a lot of shots. He’ll often look like he’s just going through the motions. He’ll put his head down, take a few dribbles, and make the decision in his head to either pass or shoot without really assessing the defense.

Yet here we are heading into a new season and Knox is no longer under the microscope. NBA agent Aaron Turner spoke with SNY NBA insider Ian Begley two weeks ago about what he’s seen and heard about Knox this offseason. Turner said:

"“Everybody that’s been in the gym with Kevin, trainers, myself, everyone that’s been with him year-by-year, we all see a real improvement… There’s for sure going to be a leap. It could be really, really big, that’s very possible too, but it’s going to be a leap.”"

We don’t know for sure whether or not Knox has significantly added to his game, but we’ll never find out unless he can log some serious minutes.

With his size and length, Knox should be getting to the rim much more frequently. He has the ability to make tough shots, and the more he drives to the rim, the more his long-distance shooting will open up.

In year three, it will be less about projections and more about what happens on the court for Kevin Knox. He has a new coaching staff that includes one of his former college coaches, Kenny Payne. He has a support system in place.

Zero pressure, minimal competition, and forgotten about? This is about as ideal of a setup for the new season as Knox could’ve hoped for. Now it’s up to him to fight for a prominent role and seize it.