Tyler Kolek took a hand-off from Andre Drummond in the first quarter of the preseason loss against the 76ers, attacked the basket, and drove all the way to the hoop to score. This single move against Philadelphia was the most important play of his 17 minutes on the floor and signaled a real change in approach that could totally shake up the Knicks’ bench rotation.
That One Drive Screamed ‘Play Me!’
Most fans look at Kolek’s outside shot, but that moment against the 76ers screamed that his real path to playing time isn’t just launching from deep. He finished at the rim, showing he’s got the physical tools to actually do it. And get this: the guy went into training camp specifically focused on getting into the paint and becoming a scoring threat. We all know he struggled to convert those downhill attacks last season, only finishing with points on 31.2 percent of those drives, which ranked 168th out of 171 players with similar drive numbers. Yikes, right? But if he can consistently put pressure on the basket like he did on Monday, coach Mike Brown is gonna have to rethink Kolek’s whole role.
A Packed Backcourt, But a Path Emerges
Okay, so Kolek’s got a huge hill to climb for regular minutes. The Knicks’ backcourt is deep. Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, and Jose Alvarado are all ahead of him right now, bringing a mix of tough defense and high-volume shooting that Kolek hasn’t matched yet. The Daily Knicks reported that Kolek has to provide value without always having the ball in his hands to move up that ladder. His passing is excellent, for sure, but the team needs more than just setup skills from a reserve guard. And about that outside shot everyone talks about? The critics overstate it. He made 37.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes and 39 percent of his pull-up triples last season. The real issue is volume, averaging fewer than six three-point attempts per 36 minutes, which is just too low for a player who can’t constantly hold the ball. Landry Shamet, for example, dropped 10 points in just 11 minutes against the 76ers, hitting two of five from deep. That’s the kind of simple shooting a reserve guard needs to keep the offense flowing.
For Kolek to actually get meaningful minutes, he absolutely has to show he can score without hogging the ball. A fundamental shift in his half-court game to attack the rim? That’s the ticket. Daily Knicks said this shift could be the difference between getting regular playing time and just being a sparingly used reserve. The Knicks’ rotation is crowded, so even a small jump in aggression could open that door.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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