The first thing that stood out on Wednesday night wasn’t the shot he made. It was the way Guerschon Yabusele moved. Quicker feet. Sharper rotations. A little more purpose. For the first time this season, the Knicks saw a version of Yabusele that resembled the player they thought they were signing.
It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t glamorous. But it mattered.
A slow start that tested everyone’s patience
The Knicks brought in Yabusele hoping he’d give their forward rotation a jolt of energy and versatility. He wasn’t a marquee signing, but he was supposed to be one of those glue-piece veterans who help you survive an 82-game season. Instead, his early returns were rough.
Through his first 13 games, he averaged only 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, shooting .323 from the field and .318 from deep. The shooting was cold, but the bigger problem was his feel within Mike Brown’s system. Brown demands constant movement, physicality, and clean switches defensively. Yabusele looked a step behind, often caught between assignments or arriving late on closeouts.
Some of that was conditioning. Some of it was scheme. Either way, it wasn’t the player who averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the Philadelphia 76ers last season while earning 43 starts.
The Knicks expected more, and Yabusele knew it.
A night against Dallas that showed real progress
Then Wednesday happened.
In 17 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks, Yabusele delivered his most complete effort of the year. The box score won’t turn heads — four points, two rebounds, a block — but the +15 speaks to the impact he had in real time. He defended with urgency, got his hands into passing lanes, and played with the kind of physical presence the Knicks had been searching for.
Even with an 0-for-5 night from three, he didn’t shrink from the moment. He played within the flow of the game, didn’t force shots, and made his minutes valuable. For a player trying to earn trust, that’s the blueprint.
The Knicks don’t need Yabusele to be a scorer. They need him to be disruptive, mobile, and steady.
On Wednesday, he finally checked those boxes.
Adjusting to Mike Brown’s style takes time
Brown runs a demanding system, and it isn’t surprising that a forward with Yabusele’s skill set needed time to adapt. His game in Philadelphia was simplified. With the Knicks, he’s being asked to do more: switch onto guards, space the floor, crash weak-side lanes, and rotate with precision.
That’s a lot to digest.
Players often talk about the moment where the game “slows down” in a new system. Yabusele looked closer to that threshold against Dallas. His defensive reads were faster. His positioning made more sense. His energy matched the moment.
Those are the signs coaches cling to.
Why the Knicks can afford to be patient
Here’s the good news: Yabusele doesn’t need to carry the Knicks right now.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson are healthy and playing heavy minutes. The frontcourt rotation is stable. Any production Yabusele gives them is a bonus, not a necessity.
That gives him time — something not every new signing gets in New York.
The Knicks want him to eventually become a reliable stretch forward who defends multiple positions and knocks down open looks. The shot will have to come around — he’s at .316 from the field and .259 from deep — but shooting slumps are easier to endure when the effort and decision-making improve.
Against Dallas, both improved.
A step forward, and now the question becomes consistency
One game doesn’t rewrite a season, but it can rewrite momentum. Yabusele looked comfortable for the first time since arriving, and comfort breeds confidence. Confidence breeds production.
If Wednesday night was the turning point he needed, the Knicks suddenly have another rotation piece they can trust.
And for a team chasing stability in a long season, that’s the kind of development that eventually pays off in ways the box score never captures.
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