Summer League is going to be critical for a handful of New York Knicks players who are looking to secure a spot in the rotation next season. The players to keep an eye on the most are Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Ariel Hukporti.
Knicks’ Tyler Kolek struggled with turnovers in first Summer League game
Kolek had a polarizing game in their Summer League opener against the Detroit Pistons on Friday. He scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished eight assists, but he turned the ball over five times and shot 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
His performance saw him play with some aggression, but the turnovers were uncharacteristic. He had become known to be a strong passer while also limiting turnovers during his limited action on the court last season, but he struggled with his playmaking mightily Friday night.
His offensive misfortunes were a big part of why New York got blown out by the Pistons 86-104. While Summer League outcomes don’t mean much, coaches are closely watching how the players perform to see if they are quality fits for the NBA rotation.
Kolek will need to bounce back in their next Summer League game
Kolek is someone who is looking to obtain the backup point guard spot behind Jalen Brunson. As of right now, Brunson and Miles McBride make up the point guards on the depth chart, though Kolek is looking to prove himself worthy of being a regular fixture in the rotation.
He will want to clean up the turnovers and improve the shooting to make a good impression on new head coach Mike Brown. Brown is still looking to finalize what his rotation will look like next season, and he gets himself familiar with the team, so this may be Kolek’s best chance to prove himself.
Kolek will have an opportunity to improve in their next Summer League game, which is set for Sunday at 5:30 PM EST against the Boston Celtics.
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();