Name: Kevin Knox
Pick: #9 overall, New York Knicks
School: Kentucky
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 44.5 FG%
He is potentially a perfect fit today’s “positionless” basketball
Knox has the prototypical size and versatility to excel as a combo forward in the NBA’s “pace and space” era. At 6-9, 212 pounds, the former Kentucky standout has the physical profile to punish smaller wings on drives and post-ups. Knox’s quickness, ball-handling and shooting are also good enough to exploit slower bigs on the perimeter.
NBA front offices are valuing player versatility now more than ever before. Teams are increasingly asking defenders to switch on screens and play multiple positions. Knicks head coach David Fizdale has already expressed excitement over the various ways he can use Knox.
“He’s a helluva basketball player,” Fizdale said after the Knicks selected Knox. “I’ll put him in every position on the court, anywhere on the floor.”
Fizdale recently hinted Knox could play shooting guard in lineups when Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Mitchell Robinson man the frontcourt.
