The New York Knicks have a lot of talented guards on the roster, but perhaps the one that has been the biggest surprise out of the bunch has been rookie guard Tyler Kolek.
Tyler Kolek has been impressive with the Knicks this preseason
Kolek has had an impressive preseason so far, and was one of their best bench players in their win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Kolek recorded 15 points and five assists on 6-10 shooting, all in just 17 minutes of action. This follows a solid preseason opener from Kolek in which he recorded 11 points and drilled three shots from long range in a victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
The former Marquette guard was the best playmaker in the NCAA last season, leading all players in assists per game with 7.7. He also averaged 15.5 points per game, which was second on Marquette last year. His efforts were recognized with a second-team All-American honors and a First-Team All-Big East selection as well.
Now with the Knicks, Kolek is looking to secure a spot in head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation and make an impact in a bench unit that has a lot of questions surrounding their talent level. Kolek played with the Knicks in Summer League during the offseason and dazzled, averaging 7.0 assists per game in the five games in Las Vegas.
Kolek could fill in a major need off the Knicks’ bench
The impressive performance was reminiscent of his college playing days, where his elite playmaking and solid perimeter scoring expanded the offense into a more dynamic group. The hope is that he can bring that same energy to the NBA level.
There is a lane for Kolek to get playing time, as playmaking was a massive weakness in the second unit last season. He does have competition for the spot, however, as Cameron Payne has had himself a solid preseason as well and could get the edge over Kolek for the backup point guard spot since he is a veteran with an established NBA resume.
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Kolek could follow the same path to a rotation spot as Immanuel Quickley
However, if Kolek continues to make an impression on Thibodeau and the rest of the coaching staff, the Knicks might have no choice but to give the 23-year-old a massive opportunity right away. A similar situation occurred with Immanuel Quickley back in 2020, where the late first-round draft pick had a strong preseason and eventually became the Knicks’ sixth man later that season.
Kolek could very well follow that same path to playing time, and he has a chance to make a serious impact on a Knicks team with big expectations this season.
