Entering his third NBA season, it’s easy to forget that Kevin Knox is even younger than Knicks ’2020 first-round pick OB Topin.
The 21-year-old forward is still struggling to regain the relevance that kept him away from his first two years in New York, but Knox shed light on Friday for the second consecutive game presented with 20 points on the bench at 119. -83 win over the Cavaliers in the Garden.
Knox has buried nine of his last 10 3-point attempts, including the fourth quarter of Knicks ’previous win against Cleveland two nights ago.
“Looking at his career, when he’s taken good shots, he always makes it. Or at least there was a good chance of making them, “said Knicks coach Tom Thibode. “And when he takes a tough shot, it makes him a better player. He plays defensively with much more.
“But I want it to go by itself – with its defense, first run the floor, bounce again and then the floor from a distance. And then I thought our people did a great job of penetrating it and finding it. I found the rim to be very nice to read. Kevin has worked hard to prepare himself for the season. “
Knox, the Knicks ’2018 lottery pick (ninth overall), is enjoying a promising rookie season, averaging 12.8 points above 75 appearances and an average of 28.8 minutes per game. But the former Kentucky star’s playing time (17.9 minutes per game) and scoring (6.4 points per game) dropped significantly during his sophomore season.
The Knox got off to a strong start last year with double figures of 11 seven-match points, but he scored 10 or more points in just eight of his final 54 appearances.
After making a small impact on the Knicks’ first two prison games against the Pistons, the Knox Cavaliers were 4-for-4 off the field in the fourth quarter of the comeback win. He then hit 7 of 10 shots (including a long-range 6-for-7) in Friday night’s cleanup against the Cavaliers in the team’s final match before the regular-season opener in Indiana on Wednesday.
“Just playing with said rja, moving without a basketball, and I’m just doing a really good job of finding open spaces on the floor,” Knox said. “My teammates are always asking me how open I am.
“I’m going to cut without a basketball, cut, clear the corners, find open spaces, and as I said, really my fellow players find me open, and to shoot before the ball gets there. Be ready Ready. I’ve been working on it all summer. “
With the new coaching staff – and especially the start of the rocking 2019-20 campaign – Knox acknowledged that it was important for him to show a strong preview, especially on the roster, clearly in need of outside threat.
“It’s good, it’s always good to get the ball through the net,” Knox said. “But now with prejudice, we get real games starting on Wednesday, so I have to keep working, watch a lot of movies, get a lot of shots.
“It was great to see the ball clean up these last two games, and hopefully I can continue with confidence and play with it the way I’m constantly playing.”
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