The New York Knicks took a calculated swing this offseason when they signed Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year, $12 million deal. It wasn’t a flashy move, but it was a strategic one — the kind of investment meant to deepen the rotation, stabilize the second unit, and bring a little playmaking and physicality to the forward spot. Twelve games in, that vision hasn’t materialized, and the early returns have been rough.
New York doesn’t need Yabusele to be a star. They just need him to be a reliable, energetic piece who fits within Mike Brown’s system. So far, the gap between expectation and reality has been wide enough to create some genuine concern.
A sharp drop-off from last year’s production
Last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Yabusele carved out a meaningful role across 70 games. He averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while flashing enough shooting and physicality to look like a solid rotational fit for a playoff team. He moved well, he battled on the boards, and he held his own defensively.
This season with the Knicks, he’s barely been recognizable.
Through 12 games off the bench, Yabusele is averaging just 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting .323 from the field and .318 from three. Those numbers would be concerning for any free-agent signing, but for someone expected to be a core piece of the rotation, they’re particularly alarming.
The Knicks didn’t sign him to be passive. They signed him to provide steady, reliable minutes. Instead, he’s struggling to stay afloat.
Conditioning and system fit are early issues
One of the most noticeable problems has been Yabusele’s mobility. He added weight over the summer, and it shows. He’s been slow around screens, late rotating to shooters, and a step behind the play far more often than he should be. In a Mike Brown system built on movement, pace, and defensive discipline, lagging even half a beat can tank a possession.
Stamina plays a part, but it’s also clear he’s still adjusting to the scheme. Brown asks his forwards to constantly relocate, crash, switch, and recover. Yabusele’s processing has looked a little delayed, and that hesitation is causing him to drift out of position.
When you combine conditioning concerns with a player who isn’t scoring efficiently or impacting the game physically, the value drops fast.
Knicks need Yabusele to reset his trajectory
New York doesn’t need miracles from Yabusele. They just need him to resemble the version of himself that thrived in Philadelphia. Someone who cuts decisively, hits open threes, stays active defensively, and uses his frame to win battles on the glass. The Knicks expected a dependable, proactive rotation forward — not someone struggling to stay engaged on the floor.
The positive news is that it’s still early. System adjustments take time, especially for bigger forwards being asked to play faster and more reactively. But the Knicks can’t wait forever. With injuries already thinning out the depth chart, they need Yabusele to find his footing sooner rather than later.
A critical stretch is approaching
The Knicks’ rotation is already under strain with Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby battling injuries. That creates a window for players like Yabusele to step up and reestablish their value. If he can tighten his conditioning, regain his confidence as a shooter, and get comfortable in Brown’s schemes, he still has a path to being a meaningful contributor.
But if the sluggishness and inconsistency continue, the Knicks will have to rethink his role — and that’s not what anyone envisioned when they wrote him into their plans this summer.
For now, the opportunity is still there. It’s just a matter of whether Yabusele can grab it and rise to the standard the Knicks believed they were paying for.