New York Knicks Rookie Shines in Reserve

The New York Knicks have been one of the more interesting teams to follow so far this season.

The off-season’s busiest team, they now have a wealth of talent, especially in their starting five of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.

But the team hasn’t gotten off to the start they, or fans, hoped for. So far, New York is just 4-4, still working out the kinks of its shortened Tom Thibodeau rotation.

One underlying subplot for New York has been the play of Tyler Kolek, one of the team’s newest rookies who sees sporadic minutes seldomly. On Friday night in a big win over the struggling Bucks, the former Marquette guard saw his best professional game yet, scoring eight points on 3-for-5 shooting, adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal in just 16 minutes.

It was far-and-away the most minutes he’s played yet this season, not eclipsing double digits in any other contest.

 In eight games this season, Kolek is averaging just 7.5 minutes, but scoring nearly five points on a whopping 69% shooting when he does so. While it’s come on obviously small volume, Kolek is shooting 75% from three in his pro career, missing only two attempts in four games played. His stats have yet to see a passing boost — one of his better skills in his time playing college ball.

Thibodeau has long been a proponent a team’s best players playing heavy minutes — this season, all of Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby and Towns are averaging over 32. But Kolek’s improved play begs an interesting question for the franchise.

The team was able to snag the Golden Eagle at No. 34 in the 2024 NBA Draft, having played four collegiate seasons already, three with Marquette. At 23, he’s one of the oldest players in the class, and seems more court-ready than most of his peers.

While Kolek might not be ready for heavy minutes, it seems he’s at least earned a trial basis with solid spot minutes in reserve, and some head-turning preseason play.

At the very least, he’s a body that can take some of the mileage off of the Knicks talented guard rotation. At Marquette, Kolek was the starting point guard, able to calm the court with his tight handle, high basketball IQ and court-vision. In his final season, he averaged 15.3 points, 7.7 assists and even 39% shooting from beyond the arc, somewhat showcasing an adaptable off-the-ball game.

The Knicks are back in action with a 4 p.m. Sunday matchup against the Pacers on Nov. 10. It could serve as another game to get a look at Kolek in the rotation, as Indiana has struggled out the gate this year, off to only a 4-5 start. New York will look to stay on the better side of .500.

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