After a magical 5-3 start to the 2020-21 NBA season, the New York Knicks have now lost five consecutive games. The rotations have been stagnant, the offense has stalled and the defensive effort is slipping. What can the Knicks do to ignite this team? One answer: Start Kevin Knox II.
After a meteoric ascent early in the season, the New York Knicks have tumultuously tumbled back into a reality that’s become all too familiar for the orange-and-blue faithful. The passion and fire that mystically fueled the Knicks through their first eight games seems to have vanished altogether, as the club has now dropped five consecutive contests – the most recent of which came against a severely short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers team. During this troubling stretch, the Knicks offense has sputtered out a cringe-worthy 95 points per game, which would rank dead last in the NBA across a full season. It’s safe to say the sky is falling.
The Knicks have plunged all the way down to 20th in the NBA in 3-point percentage and now sit in second to last place league-wide in 3-point makes. With each and every loss, the absence (and alarming importance) of Alec Burks becomes increasingly glaring for this squad. But does it really need to be this way? Might there be someone on this roster right now who’s strong shooting touch is being severely underutilized?
Enter Kevin Knox II.
Even in a limited role, the 21-year-old Kevin Knox II is quietly blossoming as a player on both ends of the floor. Providing a spark off the bench, “Corner Store Kev” has put on a shooting clinic so far this season, converting on 59% of his corner three attempts – a figure that places him in the 92nd percentile among all forwards in the NBA from those spots. Knox II’s 56.5% effective field goal percentage to-date represents a marked improvement over last year’s 43.6% figure and is bested only by Austin Rivers and Mitchell Robinson among active Knicks through the first 13 games. Knox II’s efficiency on shots within 4 feet of the basket (60%) ranks fourth on the team, and his overall three-point shooting rate (46%) makes him the best three-point shooter on the team – not just from the corner either. So, with the Knicks severely struggling to score and looking like one of the worst offenses in the league, the question has to be asked: why has Kev been relegated to a low-end bench role thus far with only 20.7 minutes per game and a meager usage rate of 14.5% when he’s finally showing promise?
Hard Knox Life: Why is Kev in Thibodeau’s Doghouse?
With Reggie Bullock back in the lineup for the brutal loss against the Cavaliers, Knox II was pushed back into being the fourth man off the bench – behind Immanuel Quickley, Austin Rivers and Nerlens Noel. Nonetheless, he came in and provided a spark late in the first and early in the second quarter, splashing one of his patented corner threes and later hitting a mind-boggling contested three from the top of the arc. Knox II was playing sound defense and also doing solid work as a rebounder – even putting the ball on the floor a couple of times off of his own boards looking to push the pace.
Most importantly, Knox II was a key part of an electrifying second unit that propelled the Knicks into the lead. Then, inexplicably, Thibodeau decided to completely disband that configuration in the second half – with Knox II being the odd man out. After playing 12:42 in the first half, Knox II only played 4:51 in the second half. With the Knicks ultimately losing the game, the question needs to be asked: why did Thibodeau go away from Knox II altogether when he clearly had the hot hand (2-for-2 from three)?
In their previous loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, Knox II showed off an elegant euro step finish through traffic as well as a spicy driving stepback mid-range jumper that burned Joe Harris into oblivion (see video below for both plays). This is the Kevin Knox II we need to see more of under Tom Thibodeau – and Reggie Bullock’s return realistically shouldn’t be an obstacle to that.
Preseason Kev Was Shooting Lights-Out
Let’s not forget about how Kevin Knox II looked during the Knicks’ 3-1 preseason run, when he converted 2.2 threes per game at an elite 52.9% clip, shot 50% overall from the field and played an instrumental role in the team’s winning ways. Knox II hit clutch shots late in close games (i.e.: both affairs against Cleveland) and flashed a refreshing rapport with rookie combo guard Immanuel Quickley, which had a positive carryover effect on the offense’s overall spacing and efficacy. Kevin Knox II wasn’t only doing it from the corner; he erupted on threes from the wing as well and reminded us he can throw it down when needed – proving he’s much more than a one-trick pony. The Knicks came out of the preseason looking like a young, scrappy and surprising team, and Knox II’s strong play was a huge catalyst in molding that perception. While it’s still early, Knox II has carried that success and confidence as a shooter over to the 2020-21 regular season and subsequently deserves a look in an underperforming starting five.
Message to Thibs & Co.: Knox is a Big Kid Now
Let’s face it: the Knicks have treated Kevin Knox II with kid gloves since before the start of his sophomore season. After the team’s sneaky acquisition of Marcus Morris Sr. last year, Knox II was banished to the bench by former coach David Fizdale and ultimately only started in four of the 56 total games he appeared in – averaging a paltry 17.9 minutes and 6.4 points per game. At only 20 years of age, concerns about his motor and defense were cited as the primary cause. However, as the season progressed, it was clear that Knox II was making strides on the defensive end even in that minimal role. His block percentage more than doubled compared to his rookie year and his ability to use his length to disrupt opponents from multiple areas of the floor was on display. Now, even with Marcus Morris Sr. long gone (bon voyage, my dear sir), Knox II is still used as a fringe rotation player somehow.
Kevin Knox II was initially drafted by the Knicks for his 6-foot-9 frame, 7-foot wingspan and potential all-around skillset that included a versatile offensive attack and defensive upside. During his breakout collegiate season at the University of Kentucky (ahem), Knox II was more of a focal point on offense and enjoyed a high-level usage rate of 24.6% with heightened playmaking responsibilities. Kev showed he could put the ball on the floor and make strong drives to the basket, put up crafty one-handed floaters or kick out to shooters, and even got to go to work in the post a bit. Of course, there’s a steep learning curve in the actual NBA and there’s no denying that Knox II been a tentative finisher at this level – outside of a few electrifying posters (I’m talking to you, Ben Simmons) that left us dreaming on his potential. But in what likely projects to be a losing season for the Knicks, the team should strongly lean into letting Knox II gain even more confidence and finally become that guy.
Knoxing at the Door: It’s “Trial By Fire” Time for Kev
Knicks fans adore and stand behind the 20-year-old RJ Barrett no matter what, but let’s confront the 800-pound elephant in the room: his struggles have been brutal to watch. There’s simply no reason for Barrett to have attempted 57 three pointers so far, as he ranks in the 0th percentile (cringe) on three point efficiency among all NBA wings. Conversely, it’s borderline ludicrous that Kevin Knox II has only attempted 46 three pointers thus far given his scintillating shooting touch since before the season even opened. Make no mistake, the Knicks should continue their “trial by fire” approach with RJ, but Kevin Knox II should be given that same treatment. Assessing the makeup of this team, Kev should absolutely be playing 25+ minutes per game, attempting 10+ field goals nightly and putting up at least 5 attempts from deep – and even those figures might be conservative.
There’s no question that Kevin Knox II’s newfound efficiency could regress with a starting role and a larger share of the offensive responsibilities, but the Knicks owe it to themselves to see how their 2018 lottery pick fares with more on his plate given his strong play thus far. Knox II deserves more looks, a far longer leash, and more plays drawn up to capitalize on his strong shooting. While Reggie Bullock is allegedly a solid defender and serves as a semi-respectable floor spacer, his underwhelming 8.1 points per game on 38.5% from the field shouldn’t be standing in the way of Kevin Knox II’s growth. The Knicks offense has been prone to sluggish starts all year with Bullock in the opening five, and Knox II could help the team buck that trend if he was actually given a chance to run with the first unit.
The curious case of Kevin Knox II’s NBA career to-date has been laden with more peril than intrigue, but that finally seems to be turning around as he’s starting to show us more than just sporadic flashes of his upside. The only problem is, he’s still not getting the attention he deserves from the Knicks coaching staff. Here’s to hoping that Thibodeau and company will finally reward Kevin Knox II with an increased role in the near future, as well as every opportunity to become one of the go-to scoring options for this young Knicks team.
