LAS VEGAS — Every July, as teams and media and fans roll into the city for NBA Summer League, we are reminded of a well-worn aphorism: It’s just Summer League. For every star performance, there is an equal swell to temper excitement. It is almost a form of basketball nihilism — nothing really matters in Las Vegas in July — as it is expectations-setting.



In truth, however, Summer League is more like high school prom: what happened doesn’t actually matter later but you’ll always remember it anyway. For Kevin Knox, that will likely be true. From his first rim-smashing game against the Hawks or the third quarter against the Lakers that left ESPN announcers giddy, he has been the breakout star here.



It would be unfair to label Knox a revelation. He is a former five-star recruit who went ninth overall in the NBA draft last month after just a year at Kentucky. But he has been a mild surprise — a rookie who already has the Knicks and...