While most 19 year old’s are either studying for their next college exam or taking a beer down on a Saturday night, New York Knicks rookie Kevin Knox has a different agenda on his mind. The first-round selection is prowling the tabloids for anything and anyone trying to degrade his team or write them off before the season even begins.
Vegas odds-makers have already put the Knicks at below 30 wins (29.5), but Knox believes they can be in the playoff talk with a crisp 35, according to The Post:
“People are sleeping on us with the 29 wins. I think we definitely can win at least 35 and get in that playoff talk. That’s my personal opinion. Everyone has their own opinion. But the whole team, I’m pretty confident we’re really good this year, that we have a chance to make the playoffs.â€
Winning is clearly a top priority for the youngsster, but not in a personal manner. Knox believes he can be the best rookie in 2018, yet he’s primarily focused on helping his team compete as a collective unit, rather than a single entity.
Having the help of star forward Kristaps Porzingis will surely assist the Knicks in reaching Knox’s goal of 35 wins, but there’s no guarantee he will return until after the All-Star break, if at all. The big-man is the cornerstone of the team, but his absence will ultimately open up opportunities for Knox to attack the basket more often and second-round pick Mitchell Robinson to play a more prominent role.
We can surely cough this season up to rookie development, but Knox’s optimism intrigues me, and quite frankly, I think he may surprise some people in the months ahead.