Phoenix Suns: What To Expect From Brandon Knight In 2015-16
The Phoenix Suns’ 2015 trade deadline was absolute chaos. As fans spent their Feb. 19 waiting to hear on the fate of Goran Dragic, there were questions about how Phoenix would recover from trading its current fan favorite. After Dragic was dealt to Miami, Suns fans thought their part was done for the day.
Then, right as the deadline was within reach, this happened.
In a potential three-way deal, ESPN sources say Phoenix is close to acquiring Brandon Knight from Milwaukee before the deadline
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 19, 2015
This reaction for Grantland‘s trade deadline email thread adequately summed up what everyone was thinking.
"“Trade: RIGHT ABOUT HERE, THE WORLD TILTED ON ITS AXIS, 10 TRADES HAPPENED AT ONCE, AND WE’RE PRETTY SURE BANE TOOK OVER GOTHAM CITY. THIS WAS OUR RECKONING.”"
So Brandon Knight became a Sun, regrettably playing only 11 games for Phoenix before being sidelined with an ankle injury. Despite that, the Suns signed him to a five-year, $70 million deal over the summer. It seems like the Suns are committed to him and Eric Bledsoe as the long-term guard tandem.
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On the Milwaukee Bucks, Knight was the unquestioned point guard. With the Suns running a dual point guard tandem and having Ronnie Price as the backup point guard, Knight will likely see staggered time as the primary ball handler, but when on the court with Bledsoe, it’s more likely he will formally play shooting guard.
Using Knight as a spot up shooter at the 2-guard spot isn’t a bad way to use him. Knight scored 1.12 points per possession on spot-up shots with the Bucks, as opposed to 0.82 points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball handler, per NBA.com. Knight isn’t an especially gifted passer or attacker — two qualities very useful for a modern floor general.
Knight can do one thing very well: shoot the basketball. He doesn’t have a crazy high or fast release and he doesn’t rise over guys. He just has a solid form, and focuses on finishing every stroke despite defenders’ attempts to throw him off, even by contact.
Knight works well in the dual point guard system because he can score both on spot-up attempts or by creating his own jumper. For a young man who is known more for being quiet and level-headed, Knight also has a gunner mode, and a relatively efficient one at that. Among players who took more than two pull-up threes per game, Knight shot 41 percent with the Bucks, the fifth best percentage in the league.
With Knight being able to take the ball and create shots, or spot up next to Bledsoe, they can effectively stagger point guard duties without sacrificing too much in the way of offensive creation and without pushing either player too far out of their comfort zone.
Knight’s also a smart mover with or without the ball. He doesn’t have a vicious crossover, but he can change directions quickly enough to create space or make full use of screens.
When he controls the ball, Knight can run a solid pick-and-roll with Tyson Chandler. Because he can get into his best shooting motion quickly, a one second delay in the defense’s pick-and-roll coverage may be all Knight needs to hit a pull-up shot. That and spotting up for Bledsoe are probably where Knight will be used most often.
Knight isn’t a great game manager or passer, but he distributes in a controlled, accurate way when he makes the correct reads. He finds guys in the corner and is good at hitting cutters in stride, particularly in transition.
The Suns will benefit tremendously from that. They were third in the league in percentage of points that came off the fastbreak. Having a player like Knight who can manage to distribute quickly and accurately in those short bursts of time will be a boon to their offensive approach.
This is particularly true because Bledsoe, for all his virtues, falls into the trap of driving full steam into the lane before making a desperate pass. Having Bledsoe be able to charge back toward the hoop and get a transition pass from Knight may be the best way for the Suns to push the pace while limiting turnovers.
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Defensively, Knight’s physical skills and limitations aren’t very different from Dragic. They are both 6’3″, and neither one possesses exceptional ball-stopping ability or athleticism. But both are average on-ball defenders who can help and avoid taking stupid risks.
With a defensive core of Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker, and Chandler, Knight can be slotted into the least difficult perimeter assignment and hold his own.
The balance the Suns will have to strike between Bledsoe and Knight is how often one should work off ball. Bledsoe is a wild card, being able to orchestrate and attack very well in one game while playing undisciplined and sloppily the next. Knight will never make the same kinds of plays Bledsoe can when he’s locked in, but he’s also less liable to make mistakes.
Essentially, Knight can take the same sort of role as Dragic had, but with less cutting and driving and more spotting up and jump shot creation. The Suns will need him to play like he did in his final year with the Bucks, because they gave up their Laker pick — their best trade asset — to acquire him.
The Suns invested substantially in a growing, talented player who can fit very well in Phoenix and make a big impact — a young, talented player whose name auto-completes with “fails”and “unlucky” when auto-searched on YouTube, and whose most famous NBA clip is being annihilated by DeAndre Jordan.
Make of that whatever you will.
Next: Can Good Chemistry Get The Suns Back To The Playoffs?