Not every Kentucky product took off for the Knicks.
With rookie guard Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle on the rise, fellow Wildcat alum forward Kevin Knox hit a low on Sunday in the 129-115 loss against the Knicks Clippers when he received his first DNP of the season.
The writing was on the wall, as Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau diminished the role of Knox as swingman Alec Burks and rookie power forward Obi Toppin returned from long-term injuries. Knox had played just eight minutes in each of the last two games, going scoreless trying for just one field goal.
Their 2018 lottery pick had kicked off the season with a bang, with a three-point shooting range and a compliment from Thibodeau.
“Obviously, they are not prioritizing his development, as they were last year,” said an NBA scout.
Less than two weeks ago, Knox led the NBA in the 3-point corner shooting rate, but he has stopped firing. Knox averages only 6.1 points and shoots 39.1 percent – and 39.1 percent from a 3-point range. Knox’s effective field goal percentage, which gives extra weight to 3-point scoring, is a healthy 50.5 percent – higher than both Quickley and RJ Barrett.
Nonetheless, Thibodeau sees a bigger picture and has fallen in love with the grit of Reggie Bullock’s wing and even Toppin’s tenacity, which doesn’t shoot well (40.8 percent, 26.1 percent of 3). When Toppin was out, Knox played power forward for many minutes.
It should be noted that Knicks president Leon Rose has invested more in Toppin than Knox, who was selected ninth by Knicks GM Scott Perry and former president Steve Mills.
A person familiar with the coaching staff’s thinking said Thibodeau still feels that Bullock, Toppin and Burks are delivering “more energy” than Knox has lately, although there is no data to support that. One of the problems Knox had from Kentucky was a low engine, but he had ridden harder this season.
Thibodeau recently praised Knox’s shot choice – because last season he felt like he had made many ill-considered attempts. For his part, Knox recently said he should attack the edge more and not rely on 3s alone.
The NBA scout said the Knicks’ slow pace that Thibodeau prefers doesn’t suit Knox as well as a faster attack. Indeed, the 6-8 Knox excels at running off the floor.
Knox’s shooting had been dropped before Sunday’s DNP. He was only 4th of 17 in the previous seven games.
On Sunday, Thibodeau was likely worried about Knox’s match-ups against the Clippers elite forwards, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as well as rugged Marcus Morris. Without Knox, however, the Knicks left 129 points for the worst season.
Barrett, who are trying to make the Knicks more of a petty attacker, fought but didn’t have Leonard (28 points).
The future for Knox, only 21, seems murky. If the DNPs continue, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Knicks sent him to the G League bubble in Orlando for reruns – as they did with Dennis Smith Jr.
Knox still has commercial value, and The Post reported that Oklahoma City took an interest in him when the Knicks looked into a Chris Paul transaction.
On Andrew Yang’s podcast last week, NBA concept expert Kevin O’Connor felt that Knox would do well with another team if the Knicks become impatient with his slow development.
“(He was) a raw prospect coming out of the design, it was going to be a project,” said O’Connor. And it’s still raw. Still a guy who doesn’t look ready to play. What a shame it is in year three. Look at the Knicks attack and how much of a difference a good wing scorer would make on this team. Having someone like an evolved Kevin Knox would make this team totally different when it comes to projecting them forward. In the end, his shot didn’t come together as it should – neither his control nor decision making. “
The Knicks exercised Knox’s option for the fourth year, which will pay him $ 5.8 million next season.
“He looks like one of those guys that I wouldn’t be alarmed that if he were his second or third team, he would eventually be a good NBA player,” said O’Connor, who works for The Ringer. “That’s the interesting thing about the Knicks with guys like Knox. They are likely to be more valuable to the Knicks as a player in exchange for someone who can play right away and bring something with them. The people I speak to in the competition he looks at as someone who can excel. “
The Knicks have officially assigned Smith Jr., Ignas Brazdeikis and Jared Harper to the G League bubble in Orlando, which starts in mid-February. The season lasts approximately four weeks.