Kevin Knox has worst performance of season as New York Knicks crushed by Sacramento Kings
The New York Knicks lost to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday by a final score of 113-92, giving the team a 1-6 record on the season.
There were expectations for New York Knicks‘ forward Kevin Knox heading into this season. As a 19-year-old rookie, he was able to showcase flashes of future greatness in what was overall an inconsistent first NBA campaign.
However, Knox has been unable to flaunt any improvements in his game to start the new season, besides his 3-point shooting (41.9 percent on the year in 4.4 attempts per game). His disappointing lack of growth was magnified during what was possibly Knox’s worst offensive showing as a pro against the Sacramento Kings.
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The former University of Kentucky star mustered just two points on 0-of-4 shooting from the field and 0-for-3 from deep in 21 minutes. Knox did not make much of an impact on the game on either end. The sophomore was passive offensively during a game in which the Knicks were in desperate need of buckets.
Particularly because of the reality that New York will not be contending for a playoff spot this season, it would be wise for the squad to give Knox playing time on a more consistent basis in order to boost his confidence.
He is a player worth prioritizing over some of the more established veterans on the roster because of his upside. Marcus Morris and Wayne Ellington are better than Knox at this stage of his career, but they are assumed to not be a part of the team’s long term plans.
On the other hand, the Knicks view Knox as someone who could potentially stick around for a long time to help revitalize the franchise and return it to its winning ways.
New York has more talent than it had last year, though not nearly enough to compete at a high level. With this in mind, Knox should be playing more minutes per game than he is currently (23.4). A possible fix to this issue would be to insert Knox into the starting lineup and place Morris on the bench.
Morris is currently on pace for a career year, averaging 17.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a night. They are somewhat empty numbers, though, as his performances are not leading to victories and the heavy minutes and offensive responsibilities handed to him on a nightly basis are hindering Knox’s involvement in the offense and, therefore, his development.
There is no reason not to believe that Morris would continue to succeed in a bench role. Just look to the 2018-19 season for proof, in which he was able to score 13.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics and throughout the year he frequently switched between starting and coming off the bench. Starting Knox would benefit the youngster more than it would hurt Morris’ rhythm.
Knox should be one of the primary scoring options for the Knicks, regardless of whether he is ready to become one or not. It could be worthwhile for him to learn on the fly and understand what it takes to become an upper-echelon scorer in the NBA.
Knox is bound to make mistakes, though his potential alone is worth possibly sacrificing a few wins in the short-term in order for the young man to gain some valuable experience.
The New York coaching staff should focus on continuing to see improvement from their youthful and talented nucleus. It is not diffcult to tell that the team is looking to build an identity rather than win games right now. Studs such as Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett and Knox are core pieces to the Knicks now and they possibly will be for years to come.
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Putting them in uncomfortable situations and asking them to play a major role this season may be key to their success down the line, which is why Knox should see more time on the court from now on.