Knicks’ 2nd-round steal could fight his way into the rotation sooner than later

One of the most impressive players for the New York Knicks so far this preseason has been second-round rookie guard Tyler Kolek. Despite there being a logjam of guards on their roster, Kolek could play his way into head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation much sooner than anticipated.

Knicks’ rookie Tyler Kolek has been very impressive in preseason so far

Kolek has sparkled in the first two preseason games for New York, averaging 13 points and three assists while shooting 60% from the field and 44% from three. He also has shown quick hands on defense with an average of two steals per game so far, which is something that should make Thibodeau feel good about playing him after there were initial concerns about his defense.

As previously noted, the Knicks have a surplus of guards that Kolek would have to earn a spot over. His biggest competitor is veteran guard Cameron Payne, who has also put together a solid preseason thus far and could start the season as the backup behind Jalen Brunson.

Miles McBride also figures to get action after a highly-impactful season last year, meaning that Kolek would have to make a very strong impression to earn a spot in the rotation. However, so far he has demonstrated critical skills that could really benefit the second unit in the regular season.

The Knicks have a need for playmaking

The former Marquette product led the NCAA in assists last year with an average of 7.7 per game. He put that playmaking on full display with the Knicks during Summer League back in July, averaging seven assists across the five games in Las Vegas. That playmaking ability raised some eyebrows among Thibodeau and the coaching staff, and has many wondering if the second-round pick can make an immediate impact.

The Knicks have a massive need for playmaking following the departure of Julius Randle in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. Randle was the team’s second-best playmaker behind Brunson, which allowed for him to see time with some of the bench players to keep the ball moving.

Despite that, New York still was one of the worst playmaking teams in the league last season. Their 24.4 assists per game in the regular season was the second-fewest in the NBA, with only the Portland Trail Blazers averaging a lower clip. Following the OG Anunoby trade in late December, their offensive numbers off the bench were even worse, as that group averaged the fewest assists (4.2) and points (24.8) per game out of all NBA teams’ bench units in their last 50 games of the regular season.

Kolek could solve the Knicks’ bench issues offensively

Of course, Thibodeau was running only a nine-man rotation last year, and continued to do so even after the roster became depleted with injuries. Nevertheless, the production from the bench will need to be better with the lack of depth they have in that group currently.

Kolek could solve a lot of those offensive issues in the second unit. His feel for the game already makes him look to be NBA-ready, and the 23-year-old could have a lot of benefits to him playing behind a superstar in Brunson. If he continues to deliver strong performances during the remainder of the preseason, Thibodeau will have a tough choice to make when it comes to finalizing his rotation for the upcoming season.