In my season preview article this year, I wrote that Brandon Knight was in a great position coming off the bench for the Suns. I wrote that he was a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year and that he would be one of the most important, players for Phoenix this year.
I was wrong.
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Knight has been an inconsistent mess for the Suns so far this year. Sure, he put up 32 points against Denver and 23 points vs Atlanta. But looking at the whole of this year, he’s been bad. Very bad. Brandon is shooting under 38% FG and only 32.5% from 3-point range. His EFG% is at a career low 42.3%. But even worse than that, Knight currently has the worst +/- of any player – IN THE ENTIRE NBA. Knight sits at -214 after the game against the Knicks in which he was a Suns’ worst -9, in a win! The next worst player on the season is Timofey Mozgov at -172 for the Lakers. That means Knight is over 20% worse than any other player in that category so far.
Here are some of the explanations I could come up with for his +/- is so bad:
Knight plays with the bench unit and they’re terrible, so he’s suffering as a result of them
Wrong. The rest of the bench unit isn’t nearly as bad as Knight. Dudley (-32), Barbosa (-19) and even PJ Tucker (-57) aren’t anywhere close to Knight. The Sun closest to Knight is Len at -135, and that’s still over 30% better than Knight! The rookies aren’t anywhere close either, Chriss is the closest at -85. Ulis (+10) and Bender (-5) actually have decent +/- numbers for the Suns’ record this season.
Knight plays more than any of those other bench guys or rookies, his +/- should be worse as the Suns continue to lose
Knight is playing 24.3 mpg, both Dudley and Tucker are averaging more minutes with a better +/-. In fact, if you look at the +/- per 36 mins, Knight is still the worse by far at -12.7. Next worst on the Suns is Len at -8.7 followed by Chriss at -7.5. Still not close to Knight’s number.
Here is my interpretation of the stats:
Brandon Knight is a talented one-on-one player, but doesn’t fit into an NBA offense. His value to the Suns may be higher as a member of another team
Dec 9, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) during a basketball game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Knight was a top-10 pick that has been traded twice already in his first five seasons. That doesn’t happen very often. He’s always been a talented prospect, but I think Detroit and Milwaukee probably figured out what the Suns are figuring out now: Knight can’t run an offense and is a black hole that swallows the ball. Sometimes that’s ok for a bench player, but not when his usage rate (26.4%) is tied for second on the team. His game is pretty much limited to fast breaks and going ISO while the other 4 Suns stand and watch. That’s fine, if your name is Carmelo Anthony, but it’s not. It’s Brandon Knight, and swallowing possession after possession when you’re shooting such a low percentage is incredibly damaging to a team.
The bigger problem here is I think other NBA GM’s have figured this out. My trade machine article (that featured Knight in two deals) wasn’t very popular with some Suns fans. But ask yourself this question: what NBA team would want to part with any type of viable asset for a player like this? What GM is dreaming of a two-guard who can’t distribute the ball, goes ISO every chance he gets and shoots less than 38%? I can guarantee you teams like San Antonio and Atlanta that value ball movement and good looks won’t call on Knight. He doesn’t fit their system and he doesn’t fit what winning teams in the league are doing now. Maybe a team like Philadelphia would take a chance on him, maybe not. Maybe speculating that a team like Brooklyn would consider taking him was crazy, maybe not. Even if some other GMs are willing to take a shot with him, I would imagine they know they don’t have to pay fair value because his market is so low. The Suns are likely going to have to take a hit somewhere in dealing him. That may be in the form of getting very little back, or taking on a larger less-palatable salary for a couple of years. As much as people may call me crazy, if I can get a role player like Rodney Stuckey (who is shooting almost 10% better than Knight at 46.2%) even for just the remainder of this year and maybe next, I’m doing it. I am in firm belief that Phoenix would be a better team with a solid role player, even if he has less “talent” than Knight.
Please don’t take this article as hating on Knight. He’s had some nice moments and games, and from all accounts is a great teammate and person. I simply just think that Phoenix may actually be a better team without him on the floor. Playing Knight 20+ mpg is doing nothing for the Suns. Tyler Ulis should get increased and regular minutes at the 1 so he can develop. Barbosa can spell him as the backup veteran at either guard position off the bench.
When the trade deadline rolls around, I will be ecstatic if the Suns can bring back a decent haul for Knight in a trade. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s moved for next to nothing. Only time will tell.
Am I crazy Suns fans? What’s your opinion on Brandon Knight and his future with the team?
