Now a Rocket, the big question is whether he’ll do it.
NBA training camp is three weeks away. Most teams are prepared to go ahead with their current personnel. Scratch Houston from that list.
The team has been hell-bent to dump Ryan Anderson’s contract. Anderson, once a reliable league starter, has fallen off the proverbial cliff. His deep-range is still there, but that’s about it. He’s slow, painfully so, especially on the defensive end.
The Rockets were finally able to actualize their intent. On August 31, the team traded Anderson and first-round pick D’andre Melton to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight.
Chriss seems to be a great fit. He provides athleticism on defense that Houston can’t get in Nene. But ’nuff said about Chriss. It’s Knight that I want to talk about.
Brandon Knight has been the NBA’s ragdoll ever since he came into the league back in 2011. Why a ragdoll? From getting dunked on to missing wide open layups, he has been on more Shaqtin A ‘Fool appearances than most. Just take a peek (video below) at some of Knight’s worst moments — twenty-two of them!.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGhiWeEKZLo
But here’s the thing: if you take away those laughable moments, Knight isn’t a bad player. How could he be with game outbursts (twice) of 37 points? And his career high in rebounds–fifteen–is impressive for somebody who stands 6’3.”
Efficiency wise, he isn’t bad either. Knight has a 15.2 ppg average. No, that’s not bad at all. It’s good, actually. And he averages 35.7 percent makes from behind the arc.
With these numbers, you’d think he’d be a “steal.” The problem is injuries, primarily of the lower body, Knight simply hasn’t been able to remain healthy over his career. And that shows in the stat sheet. Over the past three seasons, Knight has played in only 43 percent of his team’s games.
That injury record is one reason why he has become an NBA journeyman. Translation=Knight comes with risks even though he offers rewards.
Will that portrait change in Houston? I think the chances are good. With excellent facilitators in James Harden and Chris Paul, Knight could become a great catch-and-shoot scorer. He has done that before. And even if those two stars aren’t on the court with him, I still think Knight can make an impact. Just pair him with sharpshooter Eric Gordon and you’ll get backcourt firepower.
Knight’s offensive schematics is going to be a major plus in Mike D’Antoni’s system. While using a lot of PnR movement, expect Knight to get a lot of open opportunities this season.
If he stays healthy..and that’s a big if…then I predict Brandon Knight will make his mark on the NBA.
