The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Cavaliers’ Knight has the drive to thrive
Some basketball players need a good kick in the seat of the pants to hustle in practice. Cavaliers guard Knight is just the opposite.
Some basketball players need a good kick in the seat of the pants to hustle in practice. Cavaliers guard Brandon Knight is just the opposite. Knight has played in nine games with eight starts since being acquired from the Rockets at the trade deadline in a deal that could turn out to be a windfall for the Cavaliers as they rebuild after losing LeBron James in free agency last summer. Knight, Marquese Chriss, a 2019 firstround pick and a 2022 second-round pick were shipped to the Cavs by the Rockets on Feb. 6 as part of a threeway trade. The Cavs sent guards Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin plus a 2021 second-round pick to the Rockets. Part of the deal included the Cavaliers sending Alec Burks to the Kings. The Kings then traded guard Iman Shumpert to the Rockets. Stauskas eventually was re-signed by the Cavaliers after the Rockets traded him to Indiana and the Pacers waived him. Knight is averaging 17.9 minutes and 6.9 points a game with the Cavaliers. They aren’t eye-popping numbers, but they are encouraging considering he missed all of last season with a knee injury.
He played in only 12 games with the Rockets this season, averaging a scant 9.8 minutes and three points a game before the trade. One reason the transition to the Cavaliers has gone smoothly for Knight is Cavaliers coach Larry Drew was Knight’s coach in Milwaukee in the 2013-14 season. Knight, selected by the Pistons with the eighth pick in the 2011 draft, played in 72 games with the Bucks five years ago. He averaged 33.3 minutes and 17.9 points a game. “When he was in Milwaukee he was healthier, but he still has that same competitive spirit,” Drew said after Cavaliers practice March 5 at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence. “His attitude is phenomenal. He’s a tremendous worker. “There were times (in Milwaukee) we had to keep him out of the gym. We would play a game at night and he would go to the practice facility that same night. His work ethic has always been there. He’s always looking to get better.” The Cavaliers are 5-4 since acquiring Knight, whose time with the Cavaliers coincides with the return of Kevin Love from foot surgery, which also coincides with the improvement of rookie guard Collin Sexton. Barring something unforeseen, Knight will be in the starting lineup March 6 when the Cavaliers visit the Nets in Brooklyn. The Cavs are 16-48. They rank 28th among the NBA’s 30 teams. They are two games behind the Bulls heading into NBA action March 5. The teams with the three worst records in the league have an equal 14 percent chance of getting the first pick in the NBA draft lottery. “I just try to come in and help the team win games and do my best defensively and offensively, make the right play and make the guys around me better,” Knight said. “It’s really about competing and being a professional. “In a lot of regards, I feel back to normal. In other areas I know it’s going to take some time. I’m just continuing to work on my body and doing my strengthening things to be ready to play and finish the season strong.” Knight said he is excited to be back with Drew and added that made it easier to slip into his role with the Cavaliers. Knight corroborated Drew’s version of being a practice fiend, even after games. “That’s how I’ve been my entire life,” Knight said. “If there’s something I need to work on, or I don’t feel like myself, I’ll try to shoot myself back into my rhythm. That could be a good thing and a bad thing, because sometimes you need to rest. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to learn to get off my feet and just rest and get back into a rhythm that way. I’ve always wanted to be the best and get the best out of myself. I think that comes from hard work.” Knight is being paid $14,631,250 this year. The Cavaliers had to pick up the pro-rated portion of his 2018-19 salary when the trade was made. The Cavs are on the hook for his 2019-20 salary of $15,643,750.