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New York Knicks: 4 promising takeaways from the preseason

By Zachary Bachar

Feb 22, 2020; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Immanuel Quickley (5) celebrates during the game against the Florida Gators in the second half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2020; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Immanuel Quickley (5) celebrates during the game against the Florida Gators in the second half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Knicks
Dec 11, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox II (20) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Saben Lee (38) during the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

3) Kevin Knox Breakthrough?

The polarizing young forward is looking to finally find his place in the league after two seasons filled with hope and disappointment. Kevin Knox has always had the tools to succeed on both offense and defense: smooth shooting form, athletic finishing ability, and a 6’11” wingspan. Nonetheless, his confidence has wavered at times and it never seemed like he received the proper coaching.

Similar to Mitchell Robinson, Knox struggled in the first two preseason games before finishing strong in the final two. In the first contests against Detroit, he averaged just 3.5 points per game while shooting 0-5 from three.

In the matchups against Cleveland, those numbers jumped up to 18.0 points per game while hitting 9 of his 12 attempts from behind the arc.

Is he finally coming around? Or is this just another flash in the pan? He’s had short quality stretches before, winning Rookie of the Month in December 2018 as well as shooting 40% from three during the first 15 games of last season. However, he could never sustain his success and always bottomed out before each season ended.

There is reason to believe that this time may be different, though. This is mainly due to coaching, specifically Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau has experience with young wing scorers, turning Luol Deng into an All-Star with the Bulls. Andrew Wiggins also averaged a career-high 23.6 points per game in his first season with Thibs.

New assistant coach Kenny Payne is also an indication that the budding forward might have a bounce-back year. The Knicks hired Payne from Knox’s alma mater of Kentucky where he was a developmental guru, often preparing forwards and centers for the draft. He has helped provide the NBA launching pad for former Kentucky bigs such as Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Bam Adebayo.

With Thibodeau and Knox’s former coach Payne now patrolling the sidelines as he enters his third season, there’s hope that the 21-year old can finally realize his immense offensive potential.

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