After New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox and Zion Williamson met in Las Vegas Summer League, the second-year forward discussed their battle.
The Zion Williamson buzz nearly took over Las Vegas Summer League. In his first—and only—game in Vegas, New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox drew Williamson as his assignment.
The second-year forward battled with the No. 1 overall pick during the first half before Williamson’s Summer League ended at halftime, but not before Zion had one highlight-reel play against Knox.
The Tampa Bay native talked about his first encounter with Williamson and the atmosphere in Vegas.
“The atmosphere was crazy,” Knox said via Bob Putnam of the Tampa Bay Times. “It was like a playoff game. The crowd was screaming. Zion is a great player. He’s young, and he’s going to have a lot of stuff to work on. But he’s very powerful and gets to the rim really well.
“The coaches asked me if I was ready for the challenge, and I said I was. That’s what I worked on all summer. I was ready to play defensively against Zion, somebody that’s a powerful-type player with his athleticism.”
Knox needs to fill out his slight frame in order to become more of a force defensively. Being able to match up with players like Williamson is a good sign for Knox’s future.
His rookie season was marked by inconsistency, but he showed flashes of brilliance at times. Offensively, Knox should be fine. He has a clean shooting stroke with the length to finish in the lane.
But a major step forward on defense is needed from Knox in year two.
