Is Brandon Knight a Good Fit for the Raptors?
By now, all hardcore Raptors fans would have heard the name Brandon Knight associated with the Raptors and the 2011 NBA draft.
But the question still remains: Is he a good fit for the Raptors?
Knight is a 6’3" point guard prospect with a 6’6.75 wingspan and the tools to use that length to be a lockdown defender.
Defense at the point guard position is something all Raptors fans put a premium on, especially after being forced to languish in anguish over Jose Calderon’s lack of defensive ability for the last couple of years.
By all accounts, the 19-year-old Knight still needs time to develop, and many pundits stated that he may best served by spending another year in college.
An interesting scenario to think about, however, is that if Enes Kanter was allowed to play for Kentucky, those same pundits would not being saying anything.
Knight has immense upside, upside that was not fully on display, as Enes Kanter, who was projected to be one of college’s top bigs, was ruled ineligible for the NCAA season, thus hurting Knight’s numbers in the assists and FG percentage departments; imagine if he had Kanter in the post to pound the rock to…we may be talking about him as the number one pick.
"Brandon is a scoring combo guard. He is being recruited by everyone as a point guard, but the thing he does best is score. He is a streaky shooter with range to 22 feet. When he gets hot, he can run off a bunch in a row. He is good off the dribble (mostly with right hand) and is also effective catching and shooting. He is more of a volume scorer though – meaning he needs a lot of shots in order to get his points. He is an extreme competitor and is a player that wants to take (and generally make) the last shot – as he did here at the Flyin’ to the Hoop Invitational. He can dribble drive into the lane and hit floater and pull ups. He has the entire arsenal offensively. He can be a very good defender when needed. He has solid length and is an above average athlete. Again, his competitiveness can come into play here. He is a good rebounder for his position and can push the ball once he secures the rebound. Brandon is one of the top talents in the 2010 class.
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"Big point guard with excellent size and speed and scoring ability … Extremely fast player who excels pushing the ball up the court …. Has a tremendous first step to get by opponents off the dribble … Strong one on one player … Excellent at driving to the basket, good body control, and a quality finisher on the move … Very creative passer … Quick decision maker … A fierce competitor, really steps his level of play up in big situations … High motor guy. Plays with a high level of intensity and passion … Strong work ethic, constantly looking to improve both his body and game … His body has seen an impressive transformation from his sophomore to senior year of high school … Has an excellent jumpshot with range out to 3 point … Good shooter off the dribble … An excellent defender who uses his length and quickness to stay in front of his man … Drew 2 changes per game as a senior in high school … Very smart, engaging young man with a bright future …
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Is he a good fit for the Raptors?:
Brandon Knight is a terrific fit for the Toronto Raptors due both to positional need as well as team fit.
As far as positional needs go, we have two point guards that most don’t have confidence in as a starter.
Now, while I like Bayless a lot and think he should be given a chance to run the team, the fact that we have the fifth pick in a draft with three top point guard prospects forces our hand so to speak.
Ultimately, it is better to have competition, and a point guard stable of Brandon Knight and Jerryd Bayless would be one of the most promising and potent tandems in the entire NBA.
Jose Calderon is a glorified backup whose assist to turnover ratio helps mask his defensive ineptness to those who only follow boxscores.
Brandon Knight appears to be a good fit beside DeMar DeRozan as someone who can knockdown the J as well as drive and finish in the lane and should help to create one of the most exciting and talented backcourts in the entire NBA.
The good thing about Brandon Knight is that his youth, coupled with being on a team with better players, will allow him to defer to teammates and take less ill advised shots in the NBA as he did in college.
I liken Knight to a slower, taller Brandon Jennings, though I firmly believe he may be a better shooter who will be less prone to jacking up shots beside DeRozan and Davis.
His defense is a perfect fit for the Raptors, and their new defensive paradigm shift that has been underway since last season.
Brandon Knight is arguably the player we should have drafted if we did not fall from the number three pick, so if he is somehow available at number five, he must be the choice.
