Despite the New York Knicks getting dominated by the Washington Wizards on Monday, it wasn’t all bad for the Knicks’ reserves.
Knicks’ Tyler Kolek has a strong preseason outing
Backup guard Tyler Kolek, who has been floated around in trade rumors recently, had a strong performance Monday. He scored 20 points, which led the team in scoring, and also dished out six assists and snagged four rebounds.
Kolek was clearly the team’s best player on Monday, and the performance comes as the team prepares to make its final roster decisions. The expectation is that they will keep two of the veterans they signed to non-guaranteed deals, which means that someone will have to be moved to create enough room.
The second-year guard was asked after the game if the roster situation motivated him on Monday, but he insisted that he carries the same mindset each game.
“There’s urgency every single day. They say the hardest thing is not to get in this league, but to stay in this league,” Kolek said via SNY.
Kolek’s future with the Knicks is uncertain
Kolek needed to have a game like this, especially after he had struggled mightily throughout Summer League back in July. The former Marquette product has the skills to be an elite backup guard, but he still has a lot of offensive skills that need to be ironed out.
If Kolek remains on the team to begin the regular season, he will likely be out of the rotation once again. The team has made it clear that they are prioritizing veteran depth this year, leaving the underdeveloped Kolek as an odd man out.
However, his performance on Monday will certainly make the Knicks’ decisions tougher as they make their final decisions. Kolek will have one more opportunity to prove his worth on Friday, when the Knicks wrap up the preseason against the Charlotte Hornets.