New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek is taking full advantage of the opportunity he is getting with some players out with injury. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, he logged his first NBA start with Jalen Brunson out, and he delivered yet another solid performance.
Knicks’ Tyler Kolek continues to be impressive
Kolek scored a career-high 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished eight assists, and stole the ball three times. He was much more aggressive offensively, taking 22 shots in 31 minutes of action.
His efforts were unfortunately not enough to secure the victory, but it was still encouraging to see him continue to make strides in his development. Kolek has enjoyed a breakout week, as Tuesday’s game marked his second double-double in the last four games.
Kolek is starting to find his groove as he continues to gain trust from his head coach, Mike Brown. Despite the strong performance, however, Brown discussed what he wants the second-year guard to improve on going forward.
“For a young guy, he tried to do what he could while he was out there. But we needed more from him, probably more so defensively than offensively at the end of the day if we expect to get a win on the road,” Brown said (h/t Posting and Toasting).
Kolek is still developing
Defense has never been a premium for Kolek, as he is a small guard who tends to get hunted by opposing offenses. However, he does give effort on that end, and he has shown flashes of being a potentially solid defensive player.
However, Minnesota was picking apart the Knicks’ defense on Tuesday without OG Anunoby on the floor. They continued to put Kolek in the action, and they were able to get many clean looks.
Kolek will hope to improve on his performance on the national stage on Thursday, when he and the Knicks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers to kick off the Christmas Day slate.