NBA Draft Profiles: Brandon Knight, Kentucky

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Stats: 17.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.2 t/o's

Age: 19, freshman

Size:

• Listed: 6'3", 180 lb
• Official: 6'1.5" (no shoes), 6'3.25" (with shoes), 6'6.75" (wingspan), 8'2.5" (reach), 177 lb

Strengths: Brandon Knight is a combo-guard with a fairly unique skill-set. He's a talented scorer that is excellent in pick-and-roll and isolation situations, using his quickness and ball-handling ability to beat his defender. He's got NBA three point range as well as a solid mid-range game, knocking down pull-up jumpers and floaters at a fairly consistent rate. This is fairly standard in combo-guards, but where Knight differs is his ability to score off the ball. He's terrific at moving without the ball, using off-ball screens to free himself for open shots. Knight is excellent in catch-and-shoot situations as well. You don't see that much with combo-guards that are known for dominating possession. Its where the Jason Terry comparisons come from. Knight has also shown to have a knack for hitting big shots even when he is struggling. He did so in the McDonald's All-American game prior to his freshman season, then had two game-winners in his two worst performances of the NCAA Tournament.

Weaknesses: The biggest issue with Knight right now is that he is still learning how to be a true point guard. You could see the development throughout the season, but he started out as such a pure scorer that he still has a way to go. Knight turns the ball over at too high of a rate -- but a lower rate than the 4.7 t/o's he averaged through his first seven games -- and has a tendency for taking some tough, ill-advised shots. That improvement will come with time and experience managing a team, although he is such a good scorer it will be interesting to see if its worth it to move him off the ball. Another area where Knight struggles is getting to the free throw line. He's a very good athlete and can get all the way to the rim, but he has a tendency to shy away from contact and put up floaters and finesse shots rather than powering his way to the rim. He makes those shots at a decent rate, but by getting to the foul line he should up his efficiency and become an even more potent scorer.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Gilbert Arenas. He’s that talented, but he’s also more of a pure scorer that a team will pass off as a PG like Gilbert, you just have to use him correctly. Both are clutch shooters who can hit big shots and gutsy players unafraid to take chances. Jason Terry is another comparison I've seen that I like for Knight.


• Worst Case Scenario: Jarrett Jack. Jack is built and a splendid athlete, but he’s also a little too reckless at times, which Knight can be. Confident Knight develops into a better talent given his smarts and work ethic, but if he can’t put it together he becomes a career backup.

Outlook: The key for Knight's future is going to be just how much of a true point guard he will become. As of right now, he would probably be at his best playing off the ball at the next level. I think the Kings would be a perfect fit for him, where he can bring the ball up but allow Tyreke Evans to run the offense in the half court. The issue is that Knight simply has not had much experience being a true point guard. In high school, he played at a smaller, academic oriented school where he was the entire team. He job wasn't to run an offense or create for his teammates, it was to put the team on his back and carry them to wins. You could see him becoming more of a true point guard in his time at Kentucky, but he still has a ways to develop to become an NBA caliber point guard. Is it worth it? Will he be that much better running a team than he would be playing a Jason Terry-esque role off the bench?

Draft Range: Top five

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Knight is a tough one to peg. He had the best game of his career -- a 30-point outburst against West Virginia -- and hit two game-winners for Kentucky against Princeton and Ohio State. But it wasn't all easy sailing for Knight in the tournament. He really struggled shooting the ball (only 26-for-79 from the field) and had 17 turnovers. In his toughest game, matched up against Walker, he shot 6-for-23 from the field. Knight clearly has talent, but scouts that question his ability to step in and run a team have legit concerns that weren't totally satisfied in the tournament. Nevertheless, he could still end up being the second point guard off the board by going ahead of Walker on draft night. He's younger, taller, a better shooter and a better defender."


• Draft Express: "Projecting Knight to the next level, the diversity of his scoring and shot-creating ability allows him to be more effective off the ball than many combo guards, which could be a key in his minutes early in his career, as it's unlikely a coach is going to hand the reigns of an offensive over to him at this time until he garners more experience and improves his decision making. On the right team, with either a big point guard or a wing player who runs a majority of the teams half-court offense – such as the Lakers, Philadelphia, Miami – could be his best situation to contend for a starting spot early in his development playing for a franchise that is looking to win now."


• Swish Scout: "Known for his clutch 3-point shooting, athleticism, wiry build and ability to score, Knight possesses an NBA skill set. Took some major strides playing PG for Kentucky as a freshman, but Brandon needs to continue developing a stronger point guard mentality, leave his impact in games and become a more consistent distributor down the stretch."

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