While starring in Santa Cruz, Knox knows he still belongs in NBA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – One step, two step, three step, four. Kevin Knox settles, looking like he’s ready to launch another corner 3-pointer. He slowly crosses his body with his left foot, sees the screen being set for him and explodes forward to catch a pass in motion.
Knox has a head of steam on the defender who tries to switch onto him. All he needs is two dribbles to get to the basket and finish a right-handed layup, giving him 35 points on the night to put the Santa Cruz Warriors ahead by one point with a little more than a minute left in the game. The two points force a timeout from the Salt Lake City Stars.
As Sea Dubs fans roar, Knox tightens his arm muscles and yells out in elation. He has the crowd completely under his control. Watching the moment in real time right behind the Santa Cruz bench it’s impossible not to wonder what’s going through Knox’s head.
How did he get here playing in front of a rocking attendance of 2,476 fans at Kaiser Permanente Arena instead of a sold out Madison Square Garden? Why is the former No. 9 pick selected by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA Draft even playing in the G League as someone who has spent six years in the NBA, but not a single game this season?
“It’s a mixture of a lot of things,” Knox told NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview two hours prior to tipoff. “Personally, I’d say it’s my fault being down here. A lot of guys don’t take the blame for situations like this, but for me, personally, I take the blame for a lot of stuff.
“If I perform better and play better up top, I won’t be here. Being down here, I don’t really take it as a demotion or anything. I take it as you come down here to learn, and learn under a great system. Work on things you need to work on.”
Knox played 31 games for the Detroit Pistons last season, and even made 11 starts. But he was traded to the Utah Jazz the day of the NBA trade deadline and waived the next day. Knox could have gone home, stayed there and counted his money. He already had made his full pay from the Pistons.
That, however, was never part of the plan.
Knox signed with the Rip City Remix, the Portland Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate, three weeks after being waived and contemplating what to do next. The Blazers were familiar with Knox from spending 21 games in Portland the previous season, and he jumped at the opportunity to play for coach Jim Moran, who now is an assistant on the Sacramento Kings’ staff.
Nearly six years after being a top-10 pick, Knox played in his first G League game. And he found his love for the game again.
“He just let me hoop, let me play my game,” Knox says of Moran. “It just brought joy and kind of brought that fun back for me and let me showcase my skills. Last year, it was huge for me and my confidence. That was my first time playing free-flowing basketball that I like to play, being super involved and super aggressive, that was my first time in a long time playing that basketball.
“I think that built my confidence up a lot.”
In 11 games under Moran, Knox averaged 22.6 points and 8.8 rebounds for Rip City. Seeing him on the Warriors’ summer league roster was even more surprising than a stint in the G League.
Admittedly, Knox wasn’t on board with playing summer league for the Warriors when the opportunity was first presented. But after conversations with his inner circle and head coach Anthony Vereen, an assistant on Steve Kerr’s Warriors staff, pride was put to the side and Knox was ready to integrate himself into Golden State’s culture and system. Summer league ended with a bang, too, as Knox scored 31 points on 12-of-17 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Las Vegas semifinals.
He then joined the Warriors for training camp in Hawaii and was with Golden State throughout the preseason where his combination of size and scoring ability opened some eyes, but his next stop again would be in the G League instead of the NBA where Knox is now playing for Kerr’s son, Nicholas.
“His movement without the ball, he’s gotten so much better,” Nicholas Kerr said. “Cutting falls into that, but cutting isn’t the only part. Obviously his cuts to the rim have gotten better, but just his ability to find space, to create open shots have been great.”
Knox now has scored 30 or more points five times this season, and has fallen short of 40 points twice by only one point. His sizzling start led to him being named the G League Player of the Week for the opening week of the regular season, and he’s averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, shooting 49.5 percent overall and 38.4 percent on threes.
Since the Santa Cruz Warriors were born in 2012, play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Danna has watched essentially every second, minute, quarter and final buzzer of the Sea Dubs. Danna has seen the homegrown stars and bigger names come through Santa Cruz. From a pure dominance standpoint, Danna says the season Knox is having is a top-three or top-five run he has witnessed.
Internally, there were question marks. Knox on many nights was able to back down smaller, less talented defenders and get easy buckets. His path to points didn’t match how the Warriors play. On this January night that ended in a frustrating five-point loss where Santa Cruz faltered in the end, Knox played pure Warriors basketball.
The ball never stuck to his hands, despite a season-high six turnovers, but also a season-high four assists. His points were a direct result of coming hard off screens, catch-and-shoot threes and getting to the free throw line.
“Just wanted to continue my aggressiveness lately getting to the rim,” Knox said after the loss. “Paint first and then threes later. Really want to get to the paint first with my game.”
Sculpting an NBA wing is Knox’s build, standing 6-foot-8 at 215 pounds. Without hesitation, he says he 100 percent is an NBA player. Warriors rookie Quinten Post, fresh off his 20-point breakout performance for Golden State, now has G League and NBA experience to look back on. As his teammate in Santa Cruz, Post was really impressed with how Knox has handled himself and led by example, mentoring the big man with any questions he has.
From a talent standpoint, Post knows where Knox belongs.
“Hell yeah,” Post said when asked if Knox is an NBA player. “Kev can just put the ball in the rim, bro. He can do that at a higher level than a lot of guys in the NBA. … I think he’s an underrated passer and he’s been guarding really well too. Maybe that’s where teams want to see him make a small jump, just taking as much pride in his defense as his offense.
“For Santa Cruz, he’s been really impressive.”
Here’s the dilemma: Knox isn’t eligible for a two-way contract. Players who have accrued four or fewer years of NBA service can sign two-way contracts, and Knox has six years of service. Knox agrees with the rule, saying that’s the right amount of time for a player to be under a two-way deal or move on, looking at different avenues overseas or grinding out an avenue back to the highest level.
The Warriors can sign him to a 10-day contract, just how they initially discovered the impact Gary Payton II can have on the team a few years back. Only three players in the NBA have been signed to a 10-day contract so far this season, but that number will rise as the year goes on. A trade also can open the door for Knox, but any NBA team can sign him.
Santa Cruz’s small-town vibe and being close to the beach fit Knox’s pace of life. It’s not the bright lights he’s chasing, but a chance to again prove himself.
Still only 25 years old, Knox battles the challenge of staying in the moment and being where his feet are while still having the future in mind. He isn’t a fan of New Year’s resolutions, but writes down goals every year, and getting back to the NBA with his eyes on one day being an All-Star was on this year’s list, along with prioritizing more time for family. The person and player he was when he was drafted at 18 years old isn’t the same man he is today.
Each stop along the way has been a piece to complete his puzzle. In New York, when Tom Thibodeau wasn’t giving Knox a lot of playing time, he learned the importance of defense. In Atlanta, with Trae Young, Knox learned how to fit a system of having a scoring point guard who’s a great passer. In Detroit, he carved out more of a 3-and-D role.
An 18-year-old Knox would have sulked, complained and cussed people out over his lack of playing time. A 25-year-old Knox understands how contracts work and that every chance, no matter how small it might feel, is an opportunity. Staying ready can’t be a roller coaster of ups and downs but a straight line of consistency at every level. A mind at ease is an athlete at ease, letting Knox play the free-flowing game he loves.
“I have the talent as a top-10 pick, I just feel like I needed to put it all together,” Know says. “Now I look back at it and I appreciate them for letting me do summer league, and letting me do the G League. Not just letting me go find another team. They like me. They see that I can be up top and help the team. Me hearing them say that, it’s like, I know I can do this.
“The biggest thing that [Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy] and Steve told me is to go perform. Be yourself. Be aggressive. You’re a top-10 pick, we know you’re talented. Now go learn our system, and we’ll see you soon.”
How soon is out of Knox’s control. Of course his patience has been tested. His growth now is built for mental battles as much as the physical toll basketball puts someone through.
The Santa Cruz pipeline already has injected new life and energy into the Warriors this season. The franchise has a long history of reclamation projects turned into success stories. Knox’s tale is far from being told, showing the Warriors why he now can turn Knicks boos when his name was called at the draft into Chase Center cheers if given the chance.
