Knicks can’t read too much into Kevin Knox’s Summer League debut
Kevin Knox has a terrific Summer League debut, but the Knicks’ coaching staff (and fans) have to temper expectations about their talented young rookie.
Regular observers of Kentucky basketball last season knew that John Calipari was forced to play Kevin Knox out of position. He played as a two guard for the Wildcats, when his skill set clearly makes him a wing at the NBA level. As such, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Knox looked comfortable playing as a three during his Summer League debut.
What did surprise people is just how good the rookie looked overall. Knox put on a show during the Knicks’ 91-89 win over the Hawks. He led New York to victory with 22 points, but it was more a matter of how he scored than his final tally. Knox did an excellent job putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim in transition. Predictably, Knicks fans are already anointing Knox as the second coming of Bernard King.
The team’s coaching staff has to view things more realistically. It was a good debut for Knox, but there were some serious negatives as well. His perimeter shot clearly wasn’t working for him. NBA defenders are going to keep him from getting to the rim unless he proves he can stroke the three consistently. Knox finished 1 of 6 from distance in his debut.
Moreover, it’s important to remember that Summer League is tailor-made for players like Knox to stand out. The strengths of his game are length and athleticism. He should be able to carve up smaller G-League caliber players off the dribble. Transition opportunities are also more plentiful in the summer. That’s where Knox made a lot of his highlight plays.
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Knox’s challenge heading into the NBA is to become an efficient scorer. Scoring 22 points on 20 shots isn’t what he’ll need to do to become a starter for the Knicks this season. That will require him to hit shots from the perimeter and make more difficult shots at the rim than he was faced with in Summer League.
The correct opinion about Knox’s debut is to think that the Knicks have a very intriguing young players on their hands. In time, he can grow into an above-average NBA starter. The danger for New York is expecting too much, too soon from Knox. His game needs a lot of coaching to grow and mature. Fizdale and his staff need to focus intense energy on his development as soon as preseason begins. If they do that, and don’t throw him into too many high-pressure situations on the floor, Knox may blossom into one of the steals of the 2018 NBA Draft.