Key Highlights
- They already had a bunch of roster talent in place, of course, but new head coach Mike Brown has added some wrinkles that have improved the Knicks along the margins. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOne of those wrinkles is the emergence of second-year point guard Tyler Kolek, who has received more opportunity from Brown than he did from Thibodeau. Sure, part of this has to do with the fact that Kolek is a full year older and more experienced, but another part of it has to do with the fact that Brown is just generally more liberal with his rotation than Thibs, who famously plays the same six or seven players into the ground (and has his own success with it, to his credit). Kolek only appeared in 41 games last year, at a 7.2 minutes per game rate.
- The Marquette guard has already appeared in 25 games this season under Brown, averaging 12.7 minutes per game as Jalen Brunson’s full-time backup. On Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Brown gave Kolek his first career start, and Kolek did not disappoint in the slightest. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 24-year-old lefty flirted with a triple-double, dropping 20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in a statement performance. Kolek’s growing confidence is a wonderful development for the Knicks, just as much as it’s a terrible development for the rest of the East.
- The Knicks have struggled in recent years to find a viable backup who can spell Brunson without presiding over a severe drop-off in quality.
- Kolek isn’t going to be Brunson out there, obviously, but he can more than hold his own running an offense, and he’s a threat to score, too.
- This means the Knicks just leveled up as a team when Brunson is resting. New York was two wins away from the NBA Finals last season.
