Knicks Rookie Turning Heads in Summer League

New York Knicks rookie point guard Tyler Kolek is becoming a focal point for the team at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Kolek, 23, had a strong debut, boasting seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a very smooth statline. But it’s beyond the stats that makes Kolek an exciting player, earning praise from ESPN analyst Tim Legler during the team’s opening Summer League contest.

“He is incredible the way that he sees the floor and how quickly he delivers the basketball,” Legler said h/t NJ.com writer Adam Zagoria. “He stands out, he is going to become quickly a crowd favorite in New York the way that he plays, the energy, the motor, but most importantly just how well he delivers the basketball all over the floor.”

Kolek’s mentality when he’s on the floor is a big reason why the Knicks were willing to trade three future draft picks to acquire him with the No. 34 pick in last month’s draft. New York was heavily rumored to be interested in taking him with one of its first-round picks, but the team feels it got a steal early in the second round.

Kolek’s career path is also eerily similar to that of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who started from humble beginnings when entering the NBA. Brunson was an undersized second-round pick who slowly but surely earned more and more playing time through his hard work and activity on and off the court. Eventually, he signed with the Knicks and blossomed into a top-10 player in the league.

Kolek likely won’t get to the second half of Brunson’s career trajectory with the Knicks since he’ll be behind him in the depth chart, but the goal for New York is to have a similar player to that of its star point guard.

With Brunson able to mentor Kolek and help him continue to follow in the footsteps he’s had during his career, the Knicks might have gotten a true steal in the second round of the draft.

Kolek makes his second Summer League appearance tomorrow against the Brooklyn Nets. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.

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