When the Motor City Cruise acquired Nate Knight in December after he started the season playing with the Maine Celtics, he was reunited with a former coach.
After four years of dominating at William & Mary, the Syracuse native began his professional career on a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks during the shortened 2020-21 season. He appeared in 33 games as a rookie for then-head coach Nate McMillan. Jamelle McMillan, current Motor City Cruise head coach and Nate’s son, worked on Atlanta’s staff as an assistant coach.
This season, Knight got a fresh start in Detroit playing for Jamelle.
“Me and Jamelle go way back,” Knight said in an interview with Detroit Bad Boys. “He knows my journey, he knows my story. He knows how much basketball means to me. I was really excited when I found out I was coming to be coached by (Jamelle).”
Knight competed in the New York Knicks’ training camp this past offseason before signing a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics. He was then waived by the team, which paved the way for the Cruise to acquire him shortly after the move.
He spent each of his first three seasons as a professional getting NBA games under his belt. After his time in Atlanta, he spent the next two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s played in 108 NBA games over the three years, including a 20-point and 11-rebound double-double for the Timberwolves in the first start of his career.
Now a three-year NBA veteran, spending all of his playing time in the G League during year four brought a challenge. Knight mentioned that this year has been difficult for him both mentally and physically. Arriving in Detroit helped reinvigorate his game and add confidence.
In 12 games with Maine to begin his season, he put up just four total 3-point attempts. He started in all 12 of those games and played just under 250 total minutes, averaging 9.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game with Boston’s NBA G League affiliate.
Now, through 30 games with the Cruise, he is putting up 2.7 3-point attempts per game and connecting on 38.8% of them. He’s averaging 12.8 points per game in the Motor City, serving as one of the best floor spacing big men across the G League. He mentioned that the 3-point shot is a piece of his game that he honed in on all offseason, making minor tweaks to his jumper to make it more fluid and consistent.
Knight said that he may have shied away from taking those shots early in the year. Now, he’s in Detroit to develop his game and make himself a better player so he can best contribute to the organization he’s with. Comfortability taking more threes allows that to happen and opens the floor for both him and his teammates.
In the G League, rosters and status reports are always changing. Players go back and forth between NBA rosters, elect to sign contracts overseas or even get called to play internationally, which happened for the Cruise recently when big man Jayce Johnson was selected to play for Team USA. Since Knight arrived, he has been a constant for the Cruise through differing personnel situations on any given night.
“This entire business runs on flexibility and durability,” Knight said. “It’s one thing to be there, but it’s another thing to be there and be ready. Nate and Jamelle (McMillan) have taught me that since my rookie year: don’t just be there, come in with a positive attitude and the intention to positively impact the organization day by day. And that’s really all I’ve been trying to do.”
Knight’s consistency has given the Cruise a leader in the frontcourt. On Feb. 8, he had 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in a revenge situation on the road in Maine, helping Motor City to a 120-112 win against his former team. A few days later, he dropped 25 points and a G League career high 18 rebounds to help the team beat the Grand Rapids Gold. He’s averaging 16.2 points per game over his past 10 games, scoring 20 or more points in four of those contests.
Jamelle mentioned that his job is to keep Knight and all of his players in position on the basketball floor to do what they trust and what they’ve worked on. This allows his guys to see pieces of success at multiple points during games. Once they hit a small goal within a game, grabbing a certain amount of rebounds in the next three minutes, for example, it leads to the next mini victory, and then the next.
Jamelle said that Knight has taken that philosophy to heart. Not thinking too much and getting his job done on the court.
Buddy Boeheim, Pistons two-way player and teammate with the Cruise, trained with Knight while growing up as two kids from the Syracuse area. This season in Detroit is the first opportunity they’ve had to play for the same team.
“Nate’s a professional,” Boeheim said. “He shows up every day ready to work. A great team guy, someone you love to go to war with.”
To be that constant NBA veteran presence that’s so valuable in the G League, Knight focuses on where he is, remaining in the moment through a season that challenged him both mentally and physically.
“For me, it’s about focusing on where my feet are, and that’s on the court,” Knight said. “And to have them on the court with a coaching staff like this makes it a lot easier.”
The Cruise have seven games left in their regular season schedule, chasing one of the final playoff spots in their conference. They can still experience sudden roster changes for a myriad of reasons. Knight serves as a constant for the team through any challenge that surfaces. He’s shown the ability to do so throughout the regular season. And now, he’s playing his best basketball at the right time.
He may even regain the eyes of a team at the next level. As a standard G League player, any NBA front office can sign him to a contract to help their team down the stretch or even beyond.
Wherever Knight is, he’ll focus on where his feet are. And that’s on the court, ready to show off his game and help contribute to a win.