Comparing NBA stars to UK basketball players: Kevin Knox
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team will lose at least three, and possibly six players to the NBA Draft. It’s time for some NBA comparisons. Let’s start with Kevin Knox.
The Wildcats will lose at least three, and as many as six players to this year’s NBA Draft. Part of what NBA general managers and scouts do, is make comparisons of incoming players to those who are already part of an NBA team. This is Part One of a six-part series comparing current NBA stars to the Kentucky basketball who’ve declared for the 2018 NBA Draft. We start with Kevin Knox.
Kevin Knox, Kentucky’s leading scorer from last season, is expected to be selected in the first-round of the upcoming NBA Draft. Most mock drafts have Knox going in the late-lottery, between picks 10-15. So, which current NBA star is most comparable to Knox? While Knox claims to have modeled his game after former NBA MVP Kevin Durant, his closest comparison is Otto Porter.
Otto Porter was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Porter spent two seasons at Georgetown before declaring for the NBA Draft. In his two seasons with the Hoyas, Porter averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Porter nearly doubled his points per game from his freshman (9.7 points) to his sophomore (16.2) season.
Porter, like Knox, was very young when he first entered the NBA. Knox does not turn 19 years of age until August 11th. Porter played only 37 games during his rookie season due to a hip injury and finished his rookie campaign averaging only 2.1 points in 8.6 minutes per game.
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A major difference between Kevin Knox and Otto Porter is perimeter shooting. While Porter has become a very proficient three-point shooter, he shot only 22.6% from behind the arc during his freshman season. Knox hit 34.4% of his shots from downtown last season.
Porter has become an important part of the Washington Wizards franchise. Porter signed a 4-year $106.5 million contract last offseason. Surely Kevin Knox would love to have his second NBA contract mimic that of Porter’s.