Kevin Knox didn't get a minute of basketball during the New York Knicks' narrow loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, head coach David Fizdale believes that the second-year forward shouldn't take this benching personally.

Knox hasn't had the best start to the season so far, regressing in terms of points and other statistical categories. Given the importance of the game against the Sixers, it was understandable that Fizdale didn't try to use him throughout the game.

However, the head coach offered his forward some words of encouragement.

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Per New York Post's Peter Botte:

“Sometimes they’ve got to go through some tough love to find themselves and watch the game from 25,000 feet, see it, and see the things that I’m emphasizing,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said when asked about Knox after practice Saturday in Tarrytown. “I was tough on Frank last year and I just feel like Frank has come back with a whole different mindset about how he’s going to go about this season.

“I’ve been so happy with the way he’s played and produced. But I do think a little bit of tough love on some of these young guys isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

Frank Ntilikina also experienced an experience similar to Knox during his first two years in the league. He wasn't played that often, and some understandably thought that he was a bust. He proved them wrong this season, though: he's averaging 8.1 points, 4.2 assists and 1.9 steals in 14 starts. His advice to his teammate was to keep his head down and focus on improving his game. Chances will eventually come to him if he continues on improving his craft.