Forget the notion that 18-year-old Kevin Knox’s rookie season will be spent as a reserve. Knicks coach David Fizdale said he has confidence the second-youngest player in this year’s NBA draft can crack the starting lineup at small forward.
In rave reviews about the Knicks’ first-round pick, who was selected at No. 9 Thursday, Fizdale said the 6-foot-9 Knox “literally checked every box for us.” The coach also made a comparison to the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, echoing Knox’s college coach, John Calipari.
“Yeah, I’m looking at our roster right now — absolutely,” Fizdale said at Knox’s introductory press conference Friday at the Knicks’ Tarrytown headquarters. “Who’s our starting 3? Any of you guys know to tell me? [Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee are] both 6-5, and he’s got to guard LeBron [James] and [Kevin] Durant. Those are the 3s in our league. It’s very good opportunity there for him to start.”
Fizdale tried to smash any notion the Knicks took a risk or were being patient in taking the less-proven Knox over Villanova junior small forward Mikal Bridges.
Knox had an up-and-down freshman year at Kentucky, where he struggled most on defense. Calipari mentioned Tatum wasn’t a star at Duke, but became a Rookie of the Year candidate in Boston. Knox is the youngest Knicks draft pick since Maciej Lampe in 2003.
“I think he’ll be productive right away,” Fizdale said of Knox. “His body of work, his skill set says it and fits and translates. He can shoot the ball, finish well around the rim. He runs the floor well. He knows how to get to spots. Guys who are natural scorers, that stuff translates.
“We all like how that kid [Tatum] is looking in Boston now. I’m not putting that pressure on this kid to be him. But it just does when you have that skill set at that height, that athleticism. I see him being a very productive player [as a rookie].”
As a rookie, last year’s first-round pick, Frank Ntilikina, only started seven games late in the season and only at shooting guard. Fizdale said he subscribes to the trial-by-fire method, and Knox needs to learn from mistakes.
“He’s a helluva basketball player,” Fizdale said. “I’ll put him in every position on the court, anywhere on the floor.”
Though Fizdale never scouted any college games this season, the new coach pushed hard for Knox after his 3-on-3 workout nearly two weeks ago, when Knox got the better of Michigan State’s Miles Bridges. Knicks president Steve Mills reiterated Knox’s willingness to do a 3-on-3 group workout showed his confidence. (Mikal Bridges agreed only to a solo workout).
Fizdale said he was shocked how Knox’s ballhandling had improved since his college season ended.
“He really responded well to the physicality,” Fizdale said of the workout that contributed to Knox rising on the Knicks’ board. “That was the best workout of all the workouts we had. Talk about physical guys hitting the floor. No one was giving an inch in that workout. The fact he shined in that workout says a lot.”
Fizdale was hired, as the Knicks rebuild, partly because of his reputation for developing young players. He’ll have his work cut out for him with Ntilikina, new second-round project center Mitchell Robinson, who never played in college, Damyean Dotson and Kristaps Porzingis, when he returns from his ACL surgery, at earliest by Christmas.
Knicks brass had full confidence in Fizdale to turn raw players like Knox into studs. Fizdale, as a Heat assistant, said he did his best work with young players Justise Winslow, Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson and Hassan Whiteside after the Dream Team broke up. In wearing out his welcome, Fizdale lasted just one month into his second season as a head coach in Memphis.
“That’s where this league is at anyway — doesn’t matter who we’d take at 9,” Fizdale said. “Whoever it was, it would take a lot of development and mentors, off-the-court growth.”
Fizdale praised his assistant coaching staff as chock full of developmental experts. And Fizdale already is going at it with last season’s young group.
“I’m excited to get back into that environment — that’s what we’ve been doing going into the draft,” Fizdale said. “The young kids have been here every day. We’ve had no less than seven guys sweating it out. It’s been good because I’ve been out. I didn’t realize how much I missed smelling the gym.”