One of the more intriguing players on the New York Knicks this season is rookie guard Tyler Kolek. The former Marquette product was the top playmaker in college basketball last season, yet fell to the second round of this past year’s draft.
Knicks’ Tyler Kolek has earned the respect of Tom Thibodeau
Kolek was impressive both in the Summer League and the preseason for the Knicks, showcasing his playmaking prowess while also being a reliable scorer. He got his first true NBA opportunity Monday night against the Houston Rockets with Cameron Payne out with a hamstring injury, where he knocked down one three-pointer in five minutes of action.
Before the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gave tons of praise towards Kolek’s work ethic as he adapts to the pros:
“I really like him a lot,” said Thibodeau via The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “I think he’s learning like most young guys coming into the league. He’s a gym rat. Works extremely hard. Puts a lot of time into film study. Extra work. Practice. He’s around really good veterans. That helps move it along in terms of how you learn. And then a big part of it is the trial and error of getting out there and doing it. So I think he’s putting everything he has into it. So we’ll see.”
Given the surplus of guards on the roster, it is going to be tough for Kolek to find his way into a consistent amount of playing time at least through the early part of the season. Payne and Miles McBride make up the guards in the second unit, whereas their main weaknesses come in the frontcourt thanks to injuries from Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson.
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Kolek could fill in a huge role for the Knicks one day
However, Kolek could one day solve a major backcourt issue off the bench: playmaking and scoring. The Knicks’ bench ranked dead last in both assists and points per game after Jan. 1 last season. That trend has continued into this season thanks to them playing shorthanded, as they rank 29th in bench points per game with 20.2 and 27th in bench assists with 5.5 per game.
As time goes on, Thibodeau could give Kolek a bigger opportunity if the production out of the bench unit continues to be lackluster. Entering last season, the bench was viewed as one of their strengths, but after a set of trades that brought in three new starters, they now have to get creative with their options.
It could be a while before Kolek sees the floor on a regular basis, but gaining the trust of the head coach is one of the ways to earn a rotation spot sooner rather than later.
