Why The Knicks Got It Right By Selecting Kevin Knox

New York Knicks fans being upset with whoever the team selects in the draft is a tradition as common as family dinners on Sundays. You can bet that regardless of what name is called, there will be groups of fans who find reasons to be upset, usually because most of those same fans don’t educate themselves. Thursday night at the 2018 draft was no different, as Knicks fans clearly haven’t learned from the booing they gave Kristaps Porzingis. When Adam Silver announced the Knicks were selecting Kevin Knox, there was a roar of boos from fans who wanted Michael Porter Jr instead but I’m here to tell you that Scott Mills, Steve Perry and the Knicks front office got this pick 100% correct.

Because the Knicks are who they are, there is no doubt that they will be the only team mentioned as passing on Porter if he turns out to be a great player, that’s just how things go with this team. Fact is, however that Porter wasn’t selected until pick #14, which means numerous teams passed on him because of his medical history. Back problems at a young age are no fun and the stakes are heightened when a team has to consider paying out millions of dollars to a player who may not be able to perform. On a personal level I do hope Porter goes on to have a great career but that still won’t change my mind about the Knicks getting it right by going with Knox.

While at Kentucky, Knox showed off a versatile skill set. At 6’9, he shot 45% from the floor, with 34% from three point land while averaging just under 16 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds per game. I only expect his long range shot to get even better at this level. His athleticism was obvious all over the court as he also showed he could handle the ball and create plays for others. There doesn’t appear to be any fear in the heart of the young man, which was also shown during his press conference after being selected and hearing the boos from the crowd.

You have to love any young man who comes in with a mindset like that, especially into New York and the Mecca that is Madison Square Garden. He is someone who should compliment Porzingis in a great way when he returns from injury because they operate in different areas of the floor but with Knox’s size and length, he can be a force anywhere on the court as he continues to develop. There were other players besides Porter that Knicks fans had hoped for, such as Colin Sexton and Mikal Bridges but personally I believe Knox is better than Bridges and there was no need for another point guard on a team that already has three young players at the position.

Personality wise, it appears Knox is more than ready to handle the bright lights of New York and deal with the fans and media, which in a city like this is just as important as what you do on the court. He continued to say all the right things on Thursday night.

Now that the draft is over, all the fans who were upset during it need to let that hurt go and get your support behind Knox. Overreactions are a part of draft night and a part of Knicks lure especially but now it’s time to work and everything else goes out the window. In time he will show whether or not he was worth the pick but in the mean time to continue carrying on about who they should’ve selected is futile. They hated Porzingis in 2015 and they hated Frank Ntilikina last year but as time has shown, the people who were booing clearly had no idea what they were doing.

The Knicks also made a solid low key move in the second round that could pay off big time down the road when they selected Mitchell Robinson with the #36 pick. Robinson didn’t play in college last year but he was among the highest rated prospects in the country the year before and at seven feet tall with freakish athleticism, the sky could be the limit for him as he works on being a pro.

Welcome to New York to both Kevin and Mitchell. The city will love you forever if you play hard and play a role in turning around one of the worst franchises of the 2000’s.

Written by @IamJoeSports