Knicks Rookie Impresses in Debut

New York Knicks point guard Tyler Kolek made his preseason debut with the team after being taken with the No. 34 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft.

Kolek played 14 minutes in the Knicks’ 111-109 win against the Charlotte Hornets, where he was 3 of 5 from distance for 11 points. He also added two steals and a block to the box score, showcasing some development on the defensive end of the floor.

Kolek’s debut impressed coach Tom Thibodeau, and he shared that sentiment in the post-game press conference.

“I thought he gave us good minutes,” Thibodeau said of Kolek. “I thought our bench did a lot of good things as well. They need some time together so we took advantage of that in the second half as much as we could.”

Kolek was the lone member of the Knicks rookie class that saw action in the preseason opener against the Hornets. Kevin McCullar, Ariel Hukporti and first-round pick Pacome Dadiet did not play, which again shows how important the Knicks view Kolek and how they don’t quite view him on the same trajectory as the other first-year players.

Kolek may not see this amount of minutes when the regular season begins, so it’s important that he takes advantage of the playing time he gets now while the Knicks are building and growing during training camp and preseason.

His first showing definitely showed a lot of promise, and his 3-point ability is certainly something that could be called upon at some point during the year. Thibodeau likely won’t throw Kolek out far too often in his rookie season, but if the Knicks get hampered by injuries, it’s important for the point guard from Marquette to have some experience to draw back on.

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