Deja vu ?? pic.twitter.com/z8kxVEN1s4
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 9, 2018
Kevin Knox is turning heads in the Las Vegas Summer League with his high flying dunks. He’s got the potential to bring down the Garden soon.
Summer league games are no reason to get too excited. They don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. But there is a lot to like about Kevin Knox early on. The New York Knicks have extremely high hopes for the rookie.
He’s showing the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and once he’s in the paint he’s got the athleticism to score over people. This could be a glimpse of what Knicks fans have to look forward to.
Knox finished with 19 points on 5-for-15 shooting. He’s not playing with incredible efficiency, but these flashes of brilliance are enough to make the Madison Square Garden faithful begin checking ticket prices.
Knox also seems to have a knack for drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. In time, his body should fill out and he should start finishing through contact rather than simply drawing the contact.
The Knicks eventually fell to the Jazz 90-85, but again, try not to put too much stock into these games. Summer league is great for helping guys get more comfortable on the court and certain sequences can give fans a glimpse into the future, but the final score is nothing to get too worked up about.
Frank Ntilikina showed a newfound offensive aggression throughout the game today. He was assertive going to the basket and took his defenders into the post to set up his turnaround game. Ntilikina finished with 17 points and six assists.
Mitchell Robinson is what he is at this point. Super athletic and long, but very raw. He’s got a long way to go, but again, we can see hints that something special may be there. He put up a double-double on 6-for-8 shooting. But he also had seven fouls so he’s still a work-in-progress.
The young squad routinely let the Jazz beat them in down the floor and the Knicks’ transition defense was non-existent at times. But there’s a lot to like about the team the Knicks are putting on the floor in Las Vegas. They’ve got a long way to go, but the flashes of brilliance are certainly there.
