NBA Player Profile: Kevin Knox
Kentucky freshman forward Kevin Knox shakes hands with his teammates prior to the game against Kansas State in the NCAA Sweet 16 on Friday, March 23, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia. Kentucky was defeated 61-58. Photo by Arden Barnes | Staff
June 21, 2018
NBA Player Profile: Kevin Knox
The NBA Draft is right around the corner, and for Kentucky fans, they have a lot of familiar faces to be watching for.
One of those familiar faces is NBA Draft prospect Kevin Knox, a 6-9, 18-year-old forward who averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game for the Wildcats in his freshman season.
The 212-pounder played a key role for the Cats on offense as their first option and most valuable scorer as he led the team in scoring and threes made. Knox has shown he can play at both the three and the four, but will be viewed as a wing at the next level.
NBA Comparison
Knox, in today’s NBA, most closely resembles Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris. Harris can score at all three levels, and is able to bully smaller opponents by posting, but doesn’t excel at any of the three levels. His defensive effort has occasionally come into question, but Harris, like Knox, is a dependable plug-and-play combo forward.
Knox’s birthday will come about two months after the draft, and since he’s only 18 years old, it makes him the second-youngest prospect available to NBA teams.
Teams Knox has worked out for: Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Tampa native has worked out for several teams this summer, including the 76ers who hosted him twice.
“They are really interested in me,” said Knox about the 76ers. “They love my game. They love the way that I can shoot the ball. That’s something they really like what I can do – shoot a lot of threes. My versatility, being able to take guys off the dribble, is something that will complement very well with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.”
While Knox is a Tampa native, he’s spoken about his interest in playing for the Magic, saying it would be “one of the best feelings in the whole world” to be drafted by them.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari says that the teams who pass on Knox are going to eventually regret it.
“How do you pass on a 6-10 shooter, long, long-armed who’s a good athlete? How do you pass on that? That’s what’ll happen,” said Calipari. “Right now, there’s probably guys that have been in college longer that are more physical, that are more mature physically that he’s got to catch up with that but he will, they all do.”
Knox is projected a 10th overall draft pick by ESPN.
UPDATE- Post-Draft
Knox was selected ninth overall to the New York Knicks, where he’ll line up in a frontcourt that includes Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter. He’ll wear the jersey number 20 for the team, the same number Allan Houston wore for New York. Houston came off the bench only nine times in the 521 games he played for New York.
