NY Knicks: Reacting to a proposed Josh Jackson trade to NY
Why the NY Knicks trade for Josh Jackson
Kevin Knox, up until this point in his career has been an absolute bust.
This isn’t news to anyone.
But if he proved anything last season, it’s that he can be a reliable shooter, especially from the corner-three spot, if given the opportunity.
Unfortunately for Kevin, as soon as the Knicks’ front office and coaching staff started showing signs of competency, it was too late for them to invest the necessary resources to develop him properly.
The Pistons are on an upward trajectory after lucking out and winning the #1 overall pick in the 2021 Draft Lottery in which they eventually selected Superstar-to-be, Cade Cunningham.
It would be wise of them to start building around Cade and by that, I mean start developing a young core around him that fits his timeline.
That means getting rid of “older” guys like Josh Jackson. I laugh when I write that because the guy hasn’t even turned 25 yet.
Jackson has been a bust as well to this point, but not nearly as big of a letdown as Knox has been.
After being selected 4th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2017, he’s bounced around the league a bit.
He did show signs of life last season when given ample opportunity and minutes, averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds while playing about 25 minutes a night.
He’s a much better defender than Knox and we all know that’s what Coach Tom Thibodeau looks for most when evaluating talent.
Jackson has been a pretty poor 3-point shooter for his career, shooting sub-30% over the course of 4 seasons, but I have the utmost confidence that the Knicks’ Developmental staff can help turn things around for him in a jiffy.
He would likely start the season on the team’s 3rd unit, but this would allow him to work on his game with the coaching staff so if his number is called upon later on in the season, he’ll be ready.
We already know Jackson can guard any position 2 through 4, so they’d really just have to focus on expanding his offensive abilities.
Jackson shares an agent with Knicks’ point guard Derrick Rose, so perhaps some conversations could be had behind the scenes to get this done.