It was an up-and-down summer for Tyler Kolek, the rookie guard plucked by the Knicks in the second round of the NBA draft, after New York dealt away three future second-rounders to obtain his rights on draft night. Kolek struggled with his shooting in the early stages of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas but came around as the tournament went on, averaging 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds.
He shot just 35.6% from the field and 31.6% from the 3-point line but for a guard who has an impressive shooting resume from his last two seasons at Marquette—he shot 48.4% from the field and 39.3% from the 3-point line in those years, averaging 14.0 points—a short summer slump is not a big concern.
More important is that Kolek showed strong floor leadership, a key for him earning a role with the Knicks—which, some suggest, is already in the offing despite coach Tom Thibodeau’s well-known allergy to playing rookies.
But Kolek left an impression in Vegas, so much so that he is already being labeled a “draft steal.”
Tyler Kolek a Second-Round Steal
That’s the thrust from Bleacher Report, where analyst Mo Dakhil identified some surprise rookies from the past month in an article titled, “Rookies Who Already Look Like Draft Steals at 2024 NBA Summer League.”
Kolek was featured among them, the only second-rounder on the list.
Here’s what Dakhil wrote on him: “Kolek is a pure playmaker, averaging 7.3 assists through three games in Las Vegas. His low turnover numbers are just as impressive as the number of assists. (He’s averaging 1.3 turnovers per contest.)
“The challenge for Kolek is the depth of the Knicks, which might mean he will not see much playing time. If given the opportunity, he will raise some eyebrows. He can hit catch-and-shoot threes, has a quick burst to get to the rim and again, his vision will open up opportunities for others.”
Kolek, though, is not a typical rookie. He is already 23 years old, having played four seasons of college ball, including starting his career at George Mason before transferring. He is only one year younger than three-year Knicks veteran Miles McBride, who will also compete for minutes at point guard.
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It does figure to be a crowded field for playing time behind Knicks star Jalen Brunson. New York can play McBride on the ball or off (he played about 40% of his minutes off the ball, per Basketball-Reference.com last season) and will have either Kolek or newly signed veteran guard Cameron Payne as a potential backup, too.
Payne has been in the NBA for nine seasons with six different teams, and it’s likely that Thibs will be more comfortable with his experience level. But team insider Ian Begley of SNY wrote this week that Kolek might already be ahead of Payne on the depth chart.
“I thought Payne would get significant minutes next season. Turns out that, based on current rotation projections, I was wrong,” Begley wrote.
“This is where things stand with the projected rotation coming out of Summer League: Rookie Tyler Kolek is currently the backup point guard, ahead of Payne, per people familiar with the matter. The Knicks were thrilled to get Payne last week. (He signed for a veteran’s minimum deal.) At the moment, he is viewed as the third lead guard behind Kolek, who had a very strong Summer League.
“Will Kolek be in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation? I don’t know the answer to that question.”
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