SPANISH HARLEM – The NBA Summer League is a way for New York Knicks fans to finally see Kevin Knox, the 9th pick in the draft. He will be a focal point in my article but I will also discuss the second round pick, Mitchell Robinson, as well as the two-way player they signed for their G-League Affiliate, Allonzo Trier. Second year guards, Frank Ntilikina and Damyean Dotson also played but I will only stay with the new guys and determine what value they can provide to the Knicks this season.
Lets start with the lottery pick, Kevin Knox, who has been one of the best players in the summer league so far. He can flat out score the ball, notching a scoring average of 23.3 points per game over their last 3 games. While that may be a small sample size, just watch him play the game and you see will why the organization thought he was going to be special. Possessing a silky smooth jump shot and the ability to get to the rim at will, he will find ways to score with the ball. From what I have seen, he is already the second most athletic player on the team next to Kristaps Porzingis and that shows how deprived the Knicks were with players of his ilk. I knew he was good and I really wanted the Knicks to draft him so I’m happy that he seems to be another player the franchise can build around.
Second round pick, Mitchell Robinson has shown superior jumping ability for a big man. Super fast when going up for rebounds and blocks, he also runs great for a 7 footer which should allow him to become a dependable Pick-&-Roll center in the mold of DeAndre Jordan. He is a raw prospect in that he didn’t go to college, instead deciding to train for a year with his eye on this years draft. It may have worked against him given that he was a McDonald’s High School All-American with a huge upside. A pure risk draft pick where you hope he lives up to his potential. Watching him play, I can see why the Knicks took a chance on him, he has amazing leaping ability and brings a defensive presence that the team sorely lacked when KP was injured. At best this season he will provide more on the defensive side but expect to see some dunks that will have you talking for days. 
Allonzo Trier was another player the organization added this year after the draft was over. He was signed to a two-way contract, which basically means he can play for both their G-League team and can also be added to the NBA roster, in much the way a baseball team can call up a pitcher for one game and then be sent back to their Triple-A affiliate. There was a PED issue in college where he was suspended from his team and probably lead to him not being drafted but if you look up his story, it’s understandable since he was in a car accident and took some drugs that lead to his PED suspension. He is not a fast player with the ball but has a quick first step that allows to get his shot off. He can score and is second on the team in that category. He passes the ball well and can create his own shot if need be. He may be a long shot to play significant minutes this season but he looks like someone that can become a rotation player in the NBA if he continues to develop.
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