Will Knicks Rookie Crack Rotation?

The New York Knicks will run either a 9-man or 10-man rotation in the upcoming season, but it remains to be seen whether there will be a spot for rookie point guard Tyler Kolek.

Kolek impressed the Knicks at the Las Vegas Summer League, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be in the rotation for New York this season.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley believes Kolek will be on the outside looking in from the rotation in his rookie year.

“Even running with a nine-man rotation will leave some capable contributors out in the cold. Three of those bench spots would go to Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and probably Miles McBride (though there’s plenty congestion at point guard). A fourth would belong to whichever backup big New York signs to support oft-injured starter Mitchell Robinson,” Buckley writes. “You know who doesn’t get floor time in that scenario? Tyler Kolek, whom the Knicks traded up to get at No. 34, for one. He is one of the more polished prospects in this rookie class, and he looked the part at summer league. Still, if there are only nine openings, he’d have to unseat McBride to claim one.”

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t like to play rookies all that often, so if Kolek doesn’t see much playing time, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Even though Kolek was named the backup point guard behind veteran free agent signee Cam Payne, it will be an uphill battle for him to get playing time for a team that is vying for a playoff spot.

This just goes to show how competitive the Knicks roster is. There’s a lot of talented players who could possibly get playing time in rotations of lesser teams. However, the Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA and in order to play for them, you have to be elite.

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