Knight’s return too far away for him to help with Paul out
LOS ANGELES — If ever there was a time to imagine how Brandon Knight could help the Rockets, this would be it. For him, too.
Knight would not go there. Patience has been enough of a challenge, and he will need plenty more. He could not allow Chris Paul’s two-game suspension to test him again, not with his return to the court too far removed for the Rockets to offer a timetable even for when they will be able to offer a timetable.
For now, the reserve point guard could describe the absence of the star point guard as anyone else would.
“He’s a big part of our team,” Knight said. “It’s going to be a huge adjustment without him. You have somebody that contributes so much. Other guys have to find other ways to step up. But he’s a pivotal part of our team. We have other good players that can step in and play well.
“The positon is very important. That’s the person that makes a lot of decisions. James (Harden) does a great job with that.”
Knight eventually could help. When the Rockets acquired him along with Marquese Chriss in the deal that sent Ryan Anderson and DeAnthony Melton to Phoenix, the idea was that eventually Knight could be the third point guard to fill in for Paul or Harden that the Rockets lacked last season.
He missed all of last season after surgery on his left ACL, was cleared to work out with the Suns’ summer league team in July but then had complications after a subsequent surgery, with Rockets general manager Daryl Morey saying Knight developed an infection. That dramatically set back Knight’s rehab.
“I feel it’s going well,” Knight said. “Every day I’m working hard to feel like my normal self, to get back to playing, game mode.
“It’s tough to put a timetable on things. Just going day-by-day and attack each day as best I can and win the day. That’s kind of how I look at it.”
Knight described the second surgery as “a minor setback with some scarring that occurred from having surgery.
“That’s how I got here. The process now is continue to strengthen it and get ready to play, … doing the little things to get ready to play mentally, physically. Working closely with the training staff. They do a great job every day of telling me what to do and preparing me, showing me the progressions to get back to playing. Ultimately, they’ll decide the timeline.”
Knight averaged 15.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in six NBA seasons with the Pistons, Bucks and Suns. Playing behind Paul and Harden might not offer much opportunity for a player that averaged 17.9 points and 5.1 assists in his best stint, his two seasons in Milwaukee, but after missing so much time, Knight will welcome whatever time comes, whenever that time will be.
“It was exciting to be traded here, very exciting,” Knight said. “I know all the talent that is here. For me, it’s about being able to learn as well, to learn and win and be productive to help this team win a championship. I was very excited about the news.”
The opportunity that could come with it, however, will have to wait, even with Paul out making both of their absences more conspicuous and testing Knight’s patience again. jonathan.feigen@chron.com twitter.com/jonathan_feigen