Written by Dylan Hunter Carter
Phoenix Sun’s All Star snub point guard is having what is easily the best season of his young career. Starting off the season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Knight averaged a stunning 17.8 points, 1.6 Steals, 5.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds. Knight also unexpectedly led the Bucks to the 6th Seed in the East before the blockbuster trade at the 2015 deadline. Knight was sent to the Phoenix Suns in a three team trade between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks sent Knight to Phoenix in return for rookie Tyler Ennis, Duke alumni Miles Plumlee, and former ROTY Michael Carter-Williams.
Before the trade, Knight was playing at an All Star level alongside teammates Khris Middleton, OJ Mayo, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Prior to the season, the Bucks were expected to to have an unexceptional season led by the Second Pick in the 2014 Draft, Jabari Parker. Brandon Knight immediately shed this misconception with his elite play. Following the tragic season ending injury to Parker, Knight was seen as the definite core of the Bucks season. The Bucks took the league by surprise and have emerged as one of the elite young teams of the East. With the help of Head Coach Jason Kidd, Knight learned how to take his scoring potential and balance it with his passing ability, size, agility, and pure skill.
On February 19th, 2015, the Bucks organization made what was one of the biggest mistakes of the season. The Bucks traded away Knight in exchange for Michael Carter-Williams. This is not to say that MCW isn’t a great young guard full of potential, he’s just not having as strong of a season as Knight. MCW’s turnover totals this season have been horrendous, totaling 204 turnovers over 50 games compared to Knight’s 187 turnovers in 62 games. More than that, Knight had become the face of the Bucks. Trading him was a blow to the fans who poured their hearts into this young talent who led their team into playoffs contention.
On the Suns, Knight’s stats have been solid, but not as strong as they previously had been. Knight has averaged 14.4 points along with 4.5 assists and 2.1 rebound on his new team. These are still strong numbers, but Knight’s full potential isn’t being fully utilized in the Suns’ two guard system. Unfortunately, Bledsoe is the core talent of the Suns and they’re looking to expand his potential more than focusing on Knight. Knight will without a doubt continue to progress and excel in his growth with the Suns, but not at the same rate as he would’ve with the Bucks.
Knight’s All Star snub this year is just another example of poor luck in his young NBA career. Whether he’s hit with a killer crossover by Kyrie Irving or he’s been stuck in the path of a powerful DeAndre Jordan dunk, he seems to always pick himself back up and try harder. Many people undermine his play because of these events, but he cannot be categorized because of his poor luck. Knight is a stud and an overlooked talent in the league. Over the next few years, Knight has the potential to become an All Star or even more. As a potential MIP, the sky’s the limit for Brandon Knight.
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