The New York Knicks have a precocious talent on their hands in rookie Tyler Kolek, and it may just be a matter of time before he carves out a more defined role for himself in the team’s lineup this season.
The Knicks currently have a crowded depth chart at guard featuring All-Star Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, followed by key reserves Cam Payne and Miles McBride. Nevertheless, Kolek has gotten the call to back up Brunson in the injured Payne’s stead over New York’s last two games and has garnered praise from a Knicks legend in the process.
Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek gets endorsement from franchise great Walt Frazier
Retired Knicks Hall-of-Famer and two-time NBA champion Walt Frazier recently raved about Kolek’s skills, as Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Friday:
“Tyler is a real team player, a pass-first guard that I really like,” Frazier told the Journal Sentinel. ” And he has a great mentor in Jalen Brunson.”
Steele also highlighted laudatory comments from Brunson, who stated that he likes Tyler a great deal, in part because of the work he puts in every day. A commendable work ethic will help the star rookie floor general earn time in Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation as the campaign progresses.
Kolek could hit the ground running with a solidified role in the Knicks’ lineup
Though it has not shown itself yet, the immense talent that Kolek showed in the 2024 Summer League has the potential to be put front and center at Madison Square Garden somewhere down the line. Payne brings great value to the Knicks as a fast-paced floor general who makes quick high IQ decisions and can snipe from long range. Albeit, we’ve likely seen him reach his ceiling in the league.
If the Knicks bench continues to score at a league-worst rate of 20.4 PPG, they may look for another contributor outside of McBride to give them a spark, and that could wind up being the Marquette product. He averaged 9.6 points and seven assists per game in Las Vegas this summer, and showed his chops as a late-game closer. In the NBA ranks, he has yet to miss a three, going a perfect 4-4 on the year. He’s only missed two of the eight field goals he’s attempted thus far.
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That screams a player who stays ready. That will pay huge dividends should coach Thibodeau boldly make a sudden decision to insert him into the lineup permanently to see what he can truly do. It’s too early to gauge how his numbers could translate with substantially more playing time, but from what he’s shown, Kolek is a player who can boogie with the best of them and brings New York grit to the court. Many signs point toward him getting his shot to earn his stripes eventually. Time will tell if that comes to fruition or not.
