A “lack of fire” had scouts concerned about Kevin Knox before the New York Knicks selected him, but he’s brushing that characterization off.
There’s no doubt that Kevin Knox has the physical ability and the God-given talent to succeed with the New York Knicks. But he had a tendency to disappear at times with the Kentucky Wildcats.
This had some scouts concerned about this perceived “lack of fire.” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith directly addressed this issue with Knox on First Take.
When asked about this perception, Knox told Smith:
“I’m not really worried about that. I’m going into the season with the mindset that I’m gonna attack every person that’s guarding me. Every game I’m going to be able to attack the other team. People question that last year, but I think I’m a different person and got a different mentality this year. I know the Knicks, we are gonna definitely make some noise this year. So I’m really looking forward to this season.”
Smith pressed Knox on the idea that he could simply change up his mentality. He questioned where this different mentality came from. Knox cooly responded by saying:
“Something’s gotta change. I mean, this is a different level. I took another step after college and this is the NBA now. Like you said, it’s 82 games and you’re playing against some of the best players in the world. You’ve gotta have that mentality.”
He also pressed Knox on his relationship with Kristaps Porzingis. This pairing is something that Knicks fans are absolutely giddy to finally witness.
All in all, Kevin Knox is saying all the right things ahead of his rookie season. He’s confident without being too cocky. He has a really likable personality and he’s poised to take hold of New York if he can live up to his potential.