Knicks’ Tyler Kolek thinks skillset is ‘little closer’ to Jalen Brunson’s than ‘lazy’ comparison

LAS VEGAS — Tyler Kolek isn’t the biggest fan of the T.J. McConnell comparison.

“It’s all right,” said the second-round pick acquired on draft day by the Knicks last month. “I think it’s a little lazy.”

Left unsaid was that McConnell, like Kolek, is a white player, and white players tend to get lumped together when projections are thrown around (Next up is Cooper Flagg to Larry Bird).

It’s not that Kolek is upset by a comparison to a nine-year NBA veteran — “I admire [McConnell],” he said Sunday — but the point guard feels his methodical offense is more akin to another second-round pick, Jalen Brunson.

“His game, I feel like that’s a little closer to what I like to do than T.J. McConnell: play at my own pace, getting in the paint, getting guys involved,” Kolek said. “I can really learn from him in the midrange, in that short area when I’m coming off ball screens or isolations. I’m just really excited to learn from him and watch him and take as much as I can.”

Kolek was the most impressive of the Knicks’ three rookies in their summer league opener Saturday, a close defeat to the Hornets that became a struggle for first-round pick Pacome Dadiet, in particular.

Kolek, the 34th overall pick of the Knicks via Portland in exchange for three future second-round picks and the draft rights to Dani Diez, demonstrated command of the offense and calmness while scoring nine points with seven assists and seven rebounds.

It was just one game of summer league, and there are perils to gleaning anything from a few plays in Vegas, but the effort certainly didn’t dispel the idea that Kolek could compete for minutes behind Brunson.

“I think I can definitely run the show, get guys involved, but at the end of the day, it’s whatever the team needs,” Kolek said. “Whatever Jalen asks me to do, I’m gonna follow his lead. Other than that, whatever coach Thibs asks me to do, I’m gonna follow that lead.”

Kolek, who started at point guard Saturday over Rokas Jokubaitis, participated in a mini training camp at the Knicks training facility with other rookies after the draft.

He impressed assistant coach Dice Yoshimoto, who is leading the summer league squad.

A scout at the game said Kolek should do well offensively in the NBA but worried that he couldn’t stay in front of the opposing player on defense.

“Very unselfish. Great floor game,” Yoshimoto said. “Tough. Smart. And obviously he’s a winner.”

Six of Kolek’s victories at Marquette were against Villanova, the program with strong ties to the Knicks because four alumni — Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges — are on the roster.

Kolek doesn’t want to start a Big East problem with his new teammates.

“No bad blood to start off with,” Kolek said. “If they start talking, I’ll say my piece. We’ll let the game figure itself out. They won a national championship. They’ve done a lot of great things over there. That program is really special. You can only really hope to emulate what Villanova has done. But if our teams are matching up — I already saw Jalen wants to bet some money on it. We’ll see. Maybe a friendly wager.”

But Kolek would rather learn from Brunson.

“It’s just playing under control, picking angles, getting to the line,” he said. “That’s a really big thing. He does a great job at getting to the line. I really gotta learn that. In the NBA, it’s so different.”