New York Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson discusses the early part of his season.
Chris Iseman, Staff Writer, @chrisiseman
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — As Kevin Knox continues to adjust to the NBA, playing at a high level consistently is something he's still working on.
The rookie's motor has been up and down.
Coach David Fizdale believes that's something that will improve as Knox continues to develop.
"That’s something you can work on and build and harp on and really try to push into him," Fizdale said after Monday's practice. "That’s what we’re doing. Showing a lot of film to him. Opportunities where he could’ve cut, ran harder, did something with his athleticism."
Knox has gone through some rookie struggles. He had just four points on 2-of-8 shooting in 23 minutes in Sunday's loss to the Orlando Magic.
For the season, he's averaging 8.9 points per game while shooting just 33 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from the perimeter.
He's also had a rough time defensively. Knox had trouble slowing down Aaron Gordon Sunday night, and Gordon finished with 31 points.
Criticism of Knox's motor has been around since he was at Kentucky and hasn't gone away yet.
The 19-year-old is confident that'll improve with time, especially on defense.
"That’s something I’m working on," Knox said. "A lot of people told me that coming out of college but that’s not something that’s going to fix overnight. I have to get in shape, get conditioning, compete everyday in practice. I think most of it is just competing offensively and defensively. But there’s games when my motor is good, I just got to get it consistent and play at a high level."
Still, the Knicks could use more production from Knox, who has started the last three games at power forward.
Rookie struggles aren't surprising, especially since Knox is just 19 years old. His development's going to take time.
"That’s the biggest thing that I’m trying to do is let his body go and do what he can naturally do and have confidence in that," Fizdale said. "But those takes reps too."
Email: iseman@northjersey.com
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