It has been something of an up-and-down for the New York Knicks and, by extension, its lottery-pick rookie Kevin Knox. Despite being named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December, Knox has seemed a bit lost and flustered at times on the court – especially on defense.

Recently, Marc Berman of the New York Post spoke to Knicks coach David Fizdale about the development of Knox as well as what the future may bring.

Berman highlighted the fact that despite his foibles, Knox has at least been getting reps at the NBA level – actually ranking 6th in the NBA in minutes among rookies at 1,702. Fizdale, in particular, thinks that Knox’s lack of consistency will be something he learns from and takes with him into the offseason as he hones his game and improves in all facets.

“We were talking a lot about that stuff,’’ Fizdale said regarding Knox’s summer in Berman’s piece. “His strength is going to be a big, big thing, fine-tuning his shooting, solidifying his post game. Obviously, defensively I’m going to be all over him about taking another step forward, about being a playmaker, a shot-blocker, a guy who can take a challenge one on one and really slide his feet against the best attackers.’’

When watching Knox, his physical tools and athleticism certainly jump off the screen, but he hasn’t been fully able to leverage those into impactful plays on the defensive end. This offseason will be big for Knox and will be interesting to see how he returns next season.