Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Knight To Have A Breakout Year?
When discussing high school basketball in the South Florida area there has not been a name more popular than Brandon Knight in the last 10 years.
A lot of basketball fans in South Florida have followed Knight’s career from watching the long braided cornrows he sported when he played at the Pinecrest School and Team Breakdown, where he would often kill his competition. Leaving Florida as the second all-time leading scorer in high school basketball history, Knight went on to the next stage in his career, the University of Kentucky.
After dominating his competition as a Wildcat, Knight was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and two years later was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Now entering into his fourth season in the NBA and having a solidified role as a scorer on the Bucks, I ask, “Can Brandon Knight win the Most Improved Player?”
Knight is more of a scorer than a traditional point guard, and that is fine. Everyone plays the point guard position differently and that is why it is one of the most unique positions in the NBA.
Right at 22 years old, Knight is in a situation playing for the Bucks that he can remain as their leading scorer and play on a competitive team.
Last season for the Bucks, Knight averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and shot 42 percent from the field. Though he led the team in scoring, Knight could have easily averaged more points if he did not shoot 32 percent from the three-point line.
This season Knight will have the opportunity to have the basketball in his hands a lot more since the Bucks are going to need a guard that has scoring ability. With new head coach Jason Kidd, Knight will have a lot more freedom offensively and will have more opportunities in the half court setting to score points.
Speaking of scoring points, the Bucks franchise has not had a scorer who averaged 20 points per game in five years. The last person to accomplish this was shooting guard Michael Redd back in 2009. It is not because of the lack of talented players either. The Bucks have had their share of shot chucking guards in Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings and neither of them could crack the 20 point mark.
Next season Knight has enough talent to change that.
In addition to Knight’s talent, the teammates on the roster that surround him are getting a lot more mature and are becoming better players. Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to have a stronger season next year. Larry Sanders and John Henson are developing into great defensive big men, while drafting the one of the best rookies in the 2014 NBA Draft in Jabari Parker doesn’t hurt either.
There are many options on the team, but the basketball will stay in the hands of Knight the most. Without having to face double teams, and having other talented players around him on the floor to pass to, it will create spacing for Knight to do what he naturally does best, take his man off the dribble and but the basketball in the hoop.
If Knight leads the Bucks to a winning season next year or even close to a .500 record and his numbers gradually increase (honestly I want him to average 35 points a game) than he will have a strong argument to win the Most Improved Player award.
They say fear the dear in Milwaukee.
If Knight starts to figure out the game and get better, the Bucks are going to have a solid year next year.
Potential is a scary thought.