2018 NBA Draft - Brew Hoop Community Draft Board: Rangy Kevin Knox Selected at 16

We’re only one spot away from the fateful 17th selection on our Brew Hoop Community Draft Board, ergo we’ve just chosen the one player fans may have to pine over for years should they turn out to have been a gem that narrowly missed the Bucks’ clutches. That happens to be Kevin Knox in this instance. Knox, a former Kentucky Wildcat wing, was a one-and-done as so many of Calipari’s kids usually are. Like most young’uns with his measurables (6’9” with 6’11.5” wingspan), his slender frame remains one primary bugaboo.

He is tantalizing though, his silky smooth movements seem out of whack with a man his size. There’s plenty of opportunity to believe in upside as well, given he won’t even turn 19 until August. He seems like someone that could easily switch on defense, wrangling guards with his fluidity, however his effort often seems questionable at best. For someone his age, that’s not surprising, especially given his pedigree and graduating to a starring role in one of the nation’s top programs. Perhaps being humbled a bit in the pros will alleviate some of those issues.

In terms of shooting ability, 34.1% on 167 attempts isn’t half bad, particularly when combined with his 77.4% free throw percentage on 4.4 attempts per game. That seems translatable, considering he won’t have to be the primary playmaker on a team for some time. That raises another question, which is his general ability to create offense for himself and others. His quick-twitch ability doesn’t seem there yet, although perhaps that’s something that could develop with superior training at the next level. For a young guy, that seems like reasonable assertion, but he also relied quite a bit on his floater game finishing over shorter guys in college. I’m generally dubious of that stuff ever translating to the big leagues, so he’ll have to fill out his frame to be able to body up against guys when he’s finishing at the rim.

Honestly, this guy seems like precisely the sort of dude Milwaukee’s brass would be targeting in year’s past. Tall and rangy with a decent amount of athleticism but a relatively unpolished game. He shows decent pop in transition too, but his explosiveness in the halfcourt isn’t anywhere near the likes of a Lonnie Walker or Zhaire Smith. His smooth, repeatable stroke seems promising though, particularly off the catch. I did hear Mike Schmitz talk a bit about Knox on his appearance on the Dunc’d On podcast and he discussed how Knox looked like a crazy, Shawn Marion-like stopper who could guard all five positions in high school, but that waned when he got to college. If Knox somehow turned into that sort of defensive Swiss army knife and could knock down the occasional three from behind the arc, that’s the sort of player I’d be into. If the effort isn’t there, he winds up being a below-average athlete that can’t finish at the rim, create off the dribble and his shot is a mirage, then I’m pretty cool passing. I think there’s plenty of upside there though, his future seems rather dependent on where he lands.

And with that, we’ve finally reached the fateful spot. Who ya got at #17 that would still be hypothetically available for the Bucks.

Brew Hoop Community Draft Board Rankings

1. Deandre Ayton - C, Arizona (The Stepien Profile)

2. Luka Doncic - PG, Real Madrid (The Stepien Profile)

3. Marvin Bagley III - C, Duke (The Stepien Profile)

4. Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, Michigan State (The Stepien Profile)

5. Mohamed Bamba - PF/C Texas (The Stepien Profile)

6. Michael Porter Jr. - PF, Mizzou (The Stepien Profile)

7. Trae Young - PG, Oklahoma (The Stepien Profile)

8. Mikal Bridges - SF/PF, Villanova (The Stepien Profile)

9. Wendell Carter Jr. - PF/C, Duke (The Stepien Profile)

10. Miles Bridges - SF/PF, Michigan State (The Stepien Profile)

11. Lonnie Walker IV - SG, Miami (The Stepien Profile)

12. Zhaire Smith - SG, Texas Tech (The Stepien Profile)

13. Collin Sexton - PG, Alabama (The Stepien Profile)

14. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG, Kentucky (The Stepien Profile)

15. Robert Williams - C, Texas A&M (The Stepien Profile)

16. Kevin Knox - PF, Kentucky (The Stepien Profile)