New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox has had a tough sophomore season. Yet, his father still has confidence in the former Kentucky standout.
Kevin Knox has lost some support from New York Knicks fans wanting to see more signs of star potential. Nonetheless, the father of the 2018 No. 9 overall pick is preaching patience and says his son will blossom like “a rose” during his third season.
In a phone interview with Marc Berman of the New York Post, Knox Sr. hit fans with the following metaphor when discussing his son’s development.
“All roses don’t bloom at the same time,” Knox Sr. told The Post in a phone interview Friday. “[Kentucky coach] John Calipari tried to tell you all. This is a rose. It will bloom. He’s going to be a butterfly. We’re just cocooning right now. When he gets out of the cocoon, he’s going to fly and be a very beautiful butterfly. It’s a process.”
Knox’s second season in the NBA has been anything but rosy. The forward from Kentucky is averaging 6.5 points per game. He’s additionally shooting under 40% from the field and under 70% from the free-throw line. After an encouraging start to the season, Knox’s performance and lack of playing time have stagnated his growth.
Knox’s father believes that the Knicks are focusing on his defense, which admittedly, doesn’t seem to be improving either. But in Berman’s article, he also cites players like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Otto Porter Jr. as players that took longer to develop and still put together successful careers.
“This year they’re working on his defense,” Knox Sr. said. “Last year they were offensive-oriented. He was really offensively aggressive and making things happen as a 19-year-old rookie. The second year, he needed to work on defense more to become a complete player. The third year, he’ll put it all together.”
It remains to be seen if interim head coach Mike Miller will increase Knox’s minutes as Leon Rose is set to take over as the new President of Basketball Operations. Knox is a lottery draft pick that needs time to develop, yet the Knicks seem to be favoring players like Moe Harkless in the rotation.
Knox certainly needs to be accountable and help himself, but the Knicks are not doing him any favors.
