Comments on: Internal Improvement: Brandon Knight http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/10/internal-improvement-brandon-knight/ Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Sat, 18 May 2013 23:41:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: revken http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/10/internal-improvement-brandon-knight/comment-page-1/#comment-87243 revken Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:52:20 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=11087#comment-87243 I agree that improved passing is the key thing we need to see from him, though better D and steals and a consistent floater are fine.  Knight is very fast, but he's not a huge leaper (though he did convert on some lobs last year).  He's young, so this stuff will take time.  He's probably a long way from reaching his ceiling. I'm going to quiblle with the intro comment: <em> "The Detroit Pistons can certainly make the playoffs this season."  </em>I think "certainly" is much too strong a word, even if Tom Gores understandably says that's what he wants.  Assuming we're better than Washington, Milwaukee and Cleveland, we'd still have to beat out 7 teams that made the playoffs last year plus Brooklyn.  There's nothing certain about us doing that.  I'd suggest "possibly" as a much better word to use.  Given our competition and our own uncertainties, I'd say "possibly" is pretty optimistic.    I agree that improved passing is the key thing we need to see from him, though better D and steals and a consistent floater are fine.  Knight is very fast, but he’s not a huge leaper (though he did convert on some lobs last year).  He’s young, so this stuff will take time.  He’s probably a long way from reaching his ceiling.

I’m going to quiblle with the intro comment:  “The Detroit Pistons can certainly make the playoffs this season.”  I think “certainly” is much too strong a word, even if Tom Gores understandably says that’s what he wants.  Assuming we’re better than Washington, Milwaukee and Cleveland, we’d still have to beat out 7 teams that made the playoffs last year plus Brooklyn.  There’s nothing certain about us doing that.  I’d suggest “possibly” as a much better word to use.  Given our competition and our own uncertainties, I’d say “possibly” is pretty optimistic.
  

]]> By: Keith http://www.pistonpowered.com/2012/10/internal-improvement-brandon-knight/comment-page-1/#comment-87240 Keith Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:24:30 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/?p=11087#comment-87240 I know it's the obvious one that everyone can see, but it still seems odd not to put a huge star next to Knight's passing/game management. In many ways, steals and a floater are going to be inconsequential if Knight doesn't improve as a passer. Stuckey is not a PG, and our offense has been hurt for years now running high usage scorers in the back-court. We had concurrently one of the lowest assist rates and efficiencies in the league. Those don't always go hand in hand (OKC Thunder were last in assist rate, second in efficiency), but our best player would arguably be the third best in OKC. We NEED to move the ball to create better shots, and we NEED to get better passing out of our primary ballhandlers (Knight-Stuckey).   Also, he is a super athletic PG. All athletic testing throughout his life has said as much. He doesn't play that way, but it would be false to say he can't. If anything, this should speak to his overall lack of aggression and physicality, which goes against his talents. Early last year he was downright afraid of contact and would do everything to avoid it. He got better by the end of the year, but still would take bad shots over getting fouled. That's all mental. If he can get into the paint to pass or get fouled, suddenly his efficiency and assist rate would skyrocket. I know it’s the obvious one that everyone can see, but it still seems odd not to put a huge star next to Knight’s passing/game management. In many ways, steals and a floater are going to be inconsequential if Knight doesn’t improve as a passer. Stuckey is not a PG, and our offense has been hurt for years now running high usage scorers in the back-court. We had concurrently one of the lowest assist rates and efficiencies in the league. Those don’t always go hand in hand (OKC Thunder were last in assist rate, second in efficiency), but our best player would arguably be the third best in OKC. We NEED to move the ball to create better shots, and we NEED to get better passing out of our primary ballhandlers (Knight-Stuckey).
 
Also, he is a super athletic PG. All athletic testing throughout his life has said as much. He doesn’t play that way, but it would be false to say he can’t. If anything, this should speak to his overall lack of aggression and physicality, which goes against his talents. Early last year he was downright afraid of contact and would do everything to avoid it. He got better by the end of the year, but still would take bad shots over getting fouled. That’s all mental. If he can get into the paint to pass or get fouled, suddenly his efficiency and assist rate would skyrocket.

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