AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- This isn’t exactly the rookie season Pistons guard Brandon Knight envisioned when he decided to walk away from the University of Kentucky after his freshman season and declare for the NBA Draft.

Knight is the former prep star from Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest who grew up amid the constant glare of the hype spotlight. Recruiting services and magazines began trumpeting him as the best point guard to come out of South Florida before he graduated from high school. Now, he has more losses in one month in the NBA than he experienced in his final two seasons of high school and his only season of college combined.

“I know it’ll take time to turn a team like the Pistons around,” Knight said. “Just collectively, we have a lot of rebuilding to do.

“I haven’t lost a lot of games. Not used to losing. Something I’m not ever going to be used to doing, but I know that it’s a process and that over time things will fall into place as we get better and as we continue to work hard.”

Wednesday was Knight’s 13th start. He was thrust into full-time duty when Ben Gordon went down with an injury. Gordon is still injured — he missed Wednesday’s game with a shore shoulder — and Knight is averaging 12.6 point per game. His first start was on Jan. 6 against the Sixers, and the Pistons have won just two games since.

Developing on the fly during this lockout-shortened season has been a challenge. Knight said he’s “just trying to learn each game.

“We don’t have many practices, so I think the time to learn mostly is in the games and with experience,” Knight said. “I’ve been trying to do my best to learn throughout the games.”

Knight, who grew up a fan of the Heat and guard Tim Hardaway, said the biggest adjustment he has had to make is getting accustomed to the competition level.

“Every night you’re going against a good guard or a good team, so I think that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “This is a different league. Just coming prepared to play against good competition every night.”

The eighth overall pick of the draft, Knight drew concerns about his pre-draft weight. He is listed at 6-3, 189 pounds but says he has gained weight since June. On Wednesday, he seemed to take exception to questions about his slight physique.

“The league is not about what you weigh,” Knight said.

Surprisingly, he did acknowledge that he would have liked to have remained at Kentucky for his sophomore season had things turned out differently.

“I wanted to stay but as far as the season that I had as far the successfulness of my team, it was the best option for me,” Knight said.

Waiting on Wade

Dwyane Wade missed his sixth consecutive game on Wednesday, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t release his replacement in the starting lineup until the last possible moment. Shane Battier started for the second time since Wade has been injured with a sprained ankle. James Jones has started the other four games.

Spoelstra said the decision on a starter has more to do with the “back end of the rotation” than with Battier and Jones — the thinking being that Battier can play some power forward with Chris Bosh at center.

“Not necessarily who’s starting the game but who we’ll play in the second line and what second line will we be playing,” Spoelstra said. “Will we be playing big with a center or smaller?”

ETC.

Damien Wilkins started for Tayshaun Prince, who missed the game for personal matters, according to the Pistons.