Knicks · ESPN 5 on 5 Best and most surprising rookies from Vegas (page 1)

1. Who was the best rookie you saw at summer league?
Jorge Sedano, ESPN: Kevin Knox. He was dominant through his first three games. His athleticism was off the charts, and he looks like the prototypical positionless forward in today's NBA. His first step and ability to get to the rim were impressive; in addition, he can be dangerous as a stretch-4 due to his inside/outside ability. John Calipari, his former coach at Kentucky, compared Knox to Jayson Tatum. I can definitely see some similarities, though his footwork is not yet comparable to Tatum's. Overall, the Knicks found a gem.

3. Who was the biggest surprise?
Sedano: Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks did a really nice job in the 2018 draft. Robinson was a big question mark because had had not played organized basketball in 14 months, but at times he has been dominant on the floor, averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per game. He needs to clean up the turnovers, though that is a combination of rust and inexperience showing there. Having no idea what to expect from him, I came away thoroughly impressed.

Schmitz: Mitchell Robinson. He has never been short on talent, but the fact that Robinson came out and had such a positive impact was a bit of a surprise, given the fact that this was really the first organized competition he had played in since the Jordan Brand Classic in April 2017. In five games, Robinson averaged 21.0 points, 16.5 rebounds (10 offensive!), 1.6 steals and 6.5 blocks per 40 minutes. He is still foul prone and raw in a lot of areas, but for Robinson to play with such a consistent motor and add value as a rim protector, rebounder and finisher is an extremely positive development for a Knicks team in search of youth up front. Between Robinson's and Knox's flashes of talent, there's reason for optimism in New York.
Han: The boos from Barclays transformed into oohs at Thomas & Mack as Kevin Knox showed an ability to get to the rim and stay with his man on defense. It seemingly felt like Knox was an upside pick by the Knicks as he was one of the youngest prospects in the draft, but if summer league is any indication, Knox's potential might start being actualized sooner than previously thought.

Han: The boos from Barclays transformed into oohs at Thomas & Mack as Kevin Knox showed an ability to get to the rim and stay with his man on defense. It seemingly felt like Knox was an upside pick by the Knicks as he was one of the youngest prospects in the draft, but if summer league is any indication, Knox's potential might start being actualized sooner than previously thought.

5. What's your one big takeaway from summer league?
Sedano: The second-round draft picks have really impressed. Guys like Jevon Carter, Mitchell Robinson, Gary Trent Jr., Bruce Brown Jr., Khyri Thomas, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and De'Anthony Melton have all had moments that wowed the summer league crowds. Melton, in particular, seems to be the steal of the draft. He can be a contributor on a team with championship aspirations.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24104...

I posted this in the Summer league thread as well. Great stuff and continued praise gives a lot of reason for optimism. We are slowly become one of the bright young teams in the league with KP, Knox, Robinson, and Ntilikina all as building blocks.

Good read and good vibes. Im tempered down on the hype as not to expect too much and just simply enjoy the process.
Summerleague is rookies and young Gleaguers. Franks lack of dominance does not say much as how much improvement could one expect in 10 weeks since last game since April?
We'll know soon enough how these guys work in the off season.
Knox and especially Mitchell have shown more than expected against boys but not the real men of the NBA.
My basketball playing days are way past me but good measure is not playing against peers but against superior talent. How the young'in's assimilate will be telling.
And FUN!!!!