If you Googled "Brandon Knight" late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, you probably thought the Milwaukee Bucks guard had a sleepless night. The Bucks were tied with the Brooklyn Nets in the closing seconds of the first overtime on Wednesday, but Knight botched a breakaway layup and the game went to overtime.
Brandon Knight deserves more credit for the Bucks’ strong start
The Milwaukee Bucks are winning under first-year coach Jason Kidd, but the team’s most-used player isn’t receiving much props for it.
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The headlines on Google didn’t overlook the mishap, but what they didn’t show was that Knight recovered to help the Bucks win,122-118, in triple-overtime. He even hit the game-tying three in the second overtime to prevent a Nets win.
Indeed, not enough credit has been given to Knight, who leads the surprising Bucks by averaging 17.9 points per game.
Flash back to two summers ago, when the relationship between point guard Brandon Jennings and the Bucks had soured. At the same time, the Detroit Pistons had given up on Knight, who hadn't shaken how he was framed -- a scoring point guard who wasn't big enough to play off the ball. The result was a Jennings sign-and-trade that shipped Knight from Detroit to Milwaukee.
Knight is making the trade look like a steal for the Bucks.
Just look at what happened following his missed layup on Wednesday. Knight drilled a three-point shot with 20 seconds left in double overtime, pushing Milwaukee into a decisive triple overtime.
In the third extra period, Knight was credited with two assists to Khris Middleton (who by the way was also in the Jennings trade) and hit two free throws to account for the final six Bucks points.
The Bucks are off to a 7-5 start in Knight's second year in Milwaukee. Some of the difference from a 15-67 record last season can be attributed to the addition of second overall pick Jabari Parker and the development of forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. It's helped that the Bucks are holding opponents to 43.5 percent shooting, which is the second-best mark in the Eastern Conference behind the Chicago Bulls.
But first-year coach Jason Kidd has also put the ball in his point guard's hands. The result is a young team winning close games.
A few weeks ago, Knight's driving and-one layup knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies, who are now 10-2. Knight was at it again when Milwaukee visited the Miami Heat on Sunday. Knight, who is from Miami, drained a trio of three-point shots in the final three minutes to help the Bucks win, 91-84. Then came the Wednesday night performance in Brooklyn. Knight shook off the missed layup that stuck on Google longer than it did with him.
Knight is averaging a career-high 6.8 assists per game, nearly two more assists per game than his previous season high set last year. That upward trend is important for one of the most frequent slashers in the NBA. Knight is seventh in the NBA by producing 11.2 points per game off his drives, per SportVU data.
While the 22-year-old is turning the ball over too frequently (3.8 times per game), there’s a chance that with a little improvement he could set a career-best assist-to-turnover ratio for the third time in three seasons. Knight’s shot selection could help his 42.2 percent field goal percentage improve (he’s exceptional on drives and catch-and-shoots but poor at pulling up, per SportVU). Even defensively, there’s a case to be made that Knight has a lot of potential.
Knight hasn’t reached his ceiling, and there’s a growing case the Bucks should regret not working out an extension with their starting point guard this offseason. He will reach restricted free agency this coming summer and the price is going up.
In the meantime, the Bucks are learning how to look forward and not back to last year. Their point guard, who on Wednesday easily forgot the worst of times, has been a big part to their success.
See More:
