Kevin Knox
Pro comparison
Similar to Rudy Gay and Otto Porter
NBA projection
Starter/Rotation player
Measurements
6'9" 212 lbs 6'11.75" wingspan 18 years old
Similar to Rudy Gay and Otto Porter
NBA projection
Starter/Rotation player
Measurements
6'9" 212 lbs 6'11.75" wingspan 18 years old
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Write Up
Kevin Knox is a high upside prospect who has transferable physical and athletic skills that fit today's NBA. At 6'9" 212 lbs with a ~7'0" wingspan, Knox is able to play positions 3-5 in certain lineups. Athletically, Knox is a fluid rim runner, can grab and go in transition, and has the explosiveness to finish around the rim in space. Offensively, Knox put up a solid 15.6 pts per game on a TS% of 55.6, he's best known for his shooting ability as he can stroke it from deep and has shown the ability to pull-up off the bounce. Knox has also shown solid shot diversity, he has soft touch on runners/floaters and has some potential to take advantage of mis-matches in the post. Defensively, Knox still has room to grow, but he has the tools to defend multiple positions if needed. He'll need to continue adding weight if he wants to defend NBA PF's, but he has a solid frame and should be able to bulk up. Knox is one of the younger prospects in the draft and will still be 18 when he's drafted, with his athletic/physical gifts combined with his current offensive ability, there's a lot to like about his potential fit as a stretch 4/5 in the pros.
With all of that being said, Knox has plenty of areas that still need refining. At Kentucky, Knox had an opportunity to take over as the alpha dog for a team that was still fluid in terms of player hierarchy, but after a few games it became clear that Knox seemed more comfortable as a complimentary player. Knox needs to work on his overall toughness and consistency, he's not the most physical player and tends to play smaller than listed when attacking the basket or faced with contact. He improved his consistency as the season wore on and as Kentucky's roster settled in a bit, but he still had moments where he failed to fully assert himself as the most talented player on the court. Knox also needs to improve his rebounding ability if he's to play minutes at the PF position in the NBA, he averaged 5.4 rebs per game, which is solid on paper for a SF, but won't cut it as a PF. He needs to be more aggressive ball hunting and moving players around when contesting for rebounds. Lastly, Knox needs to continue refining his dribbling ability and cut down on turnovers, while he's improved his creating ability, his handle tends to be high/loose. Tightening his handle and improving his decision making will reduce his turnovers and improve his AST:TO ratio. Overall, there's a lot to like about Knox, he's a high upside player with NBA tools, but perhaps expectations need to be tempered a bit. Knox has some star potential, but his likely outcome is a versatile stretch 4 who can be a solid starter/role player.
Kevin Knox is a high upside prospect who has transferable physical and athletic skills that fit today's NBA. At 6'9" 212 lbs with a ~7'0" wingspan, Knox is able to play positions 3-5 in certain lineups. Athletically, Knox is a fluid rim runner, can grab and go in transition, and has the explosiveness to finish around the rim in space. Offensively, Knox put up a solid 15.6 pts per game on a TS% of 55.6, he's best known for his shooting ability as he can stroke it from deep and has shown the ability to pull-up off the bounce. Knox has also shown solid shot diversity, he has soft touch on runners/floaters and has some potential to take advantage of mis-matches in the post. Defensively, Knox still has room to grow, but he has the tools to defend multiple positions if needed. He'll need to continue adding weight if he wants to defend NBA PF's, but he has a solid frame and should be able to bulk up. Knox is one of the younger prospects in the draft and will still be 18 when he's drafted, with his athletic/physical gifts combined with his current offensive ability, there's a lot to like about his potential fit as a stretch 4/5 in the pros.
With all of that being said, Knox has plenty of areas that still need refining. At Kentucky, Knox had an opportunity to take over as the alpha dog for a team that was still fluid in terms of player hierarchy, but after a few games it became clear that Knox seemed more comfortable as a complimentary player. Knox needs to work on his overall toughness and consistency, he's not the most physical player and tends to play smaller than listed when attacking the basket or faced with contact. He improved his consistency as the season wore on and as Kentucky's roster settled in a bit, but he still had moments where he failed to fully assert himself as the most talented player on the court. Knox also needs to improve his rebounding ability if he's to play minutes at the PF position in the NBA, he averaged 5.4 rebs per game, which is solid on paper for a SF, but won't cut it as a PF. He needs to be more aggressive ball hunting and moving players around when contesting for rebounds. Lastly, Knox needs to continue refining his dribbling ability and cut down on turnovers, while he's improved his creating ability, his handle tends to be high/loose. Tightening his handle and improving his decision making will reduce his turnovers and improve his AST:TO ratio. Overall, there's a lot to like about Knox, he's a high upside player with NBA tools, but perhaps expectations need to be tempered a bit. Knox has some star potential, but his likely outcome is a versatile stretch 4 who can be a solid starter/role player.