{"id":106180,"date":"2024-11-12T10:31:35","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T15:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=106180"},"modified":"2024-11-12T10:31:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T15:31:35","slug":"knicks-tyler-kolek-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/12\/knicks-tyler-kolek-time\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Tyler Kolek Time For The Knicks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After all the talk during the offseason, the New York Knicks being just 4-5 to start the season <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/06\/why-the-new-york-knicks-are-legitimate-title-contenders\/\" target=\"_self\">wasn\u2019t on anyone\u2019s bingo card<\/a>. For all of their talent, the Knicks are basically a middling team. They average 114.4 points per game, 14th in the NBA. They surrender 111.2 points per game, 13th in the NBA.<\/p>\n<h2>It\u2019s Tyler Kolek Time For The Knicks<\/h2>\n<h3>KAT Trade Not Going As Planned<\/h3>\n<p>Up to this point, two of New York\u2019s biggest issues have been chemistry and defending the paint. Both of these can be tied to their decision to trade <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/randlju01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julius Randle<\/a>\u00a0for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/townska01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> shortly before the season.<\/p>\n<p>Towns is now back at center, and their five-out scheme has helped them rank second in offensive rating (120.1). However, because of the short time they had to prepare, their rotation has had to gel on-the-fly. Furthermore, with Towns at center, old questions about his play have cropped up regarding his defense.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">ESPN: &#8220;Karl-Anthony Towns has been the worst defender at the rim in the entire NBA this season (at least 25 shots)&#8221; <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GDKn1bWHZ0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/GDKn1bWHZ0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA_NewYork\/status\/1854995575931797848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 8, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This shouldn\u2019t be front page news, as the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/goberru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rudy Gobert<\/a> because of Towns\u2019s defensive struggles. Neither he nor Gobert look particularly good when guarding in space. However, Gobert locks down the paint the majority of the time.<\/p>\n<h3>He\u2019s Not The Only One<\/h3>\n<p>Towns may be the biggest culprit, but New York\u2019s struggles certainly aren\u2019t all on him. Because Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau can\u2019t trust <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brunsja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Brunson<\/a> to guard his yard, he\u2019s often hidden or roaming. This forces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bridgmi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mikal Bridges<\/a> to guard much more agile players at the point-of-attack. Though Bridges is typically an above-average defender, everyone has physical limitations.<\/p>\n<p>At the other end, the Knicks have multiple players whose threes are clanking off the rim far too frequently. Bridges is only converting a career-low 31.7 percent of his threes. Josh Hart has never been a three-point specialist but he\u2019s shooting a career-low 29.0 percent from deep.<\/p>\n<p>Fatigue may also be a factor due to their fourth quarter struggles.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Last week, only 12 players in the league logged 150+ minutes. Four of those 12 were Knicks.<\/p>\n<p>Brunson, Bridges, OG and Hart all averaged over 37 minutes a night in NY&#8217;s four games last week. KAT wasn&#8217;t far behind, logging 35 MPG.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TommyBeer\/status\/1856101638001569869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In fact, both Bridges (37.8) and Hart (36.7) are averaging career-highs in minutes this season. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anunoog01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Anunoby<\/a> is playing 36.0 minutes per game, tied for a career-high.<\/p>\n<h3>Why Does Tyler Kolek Matter?<\/h3>\n<p>All of these are reasons why the Knicks need rookie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kolekty01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Kolek<\/a> to replace veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/payneca01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Payne<\/a> in the rotation permanently. In fact, they need to give Kolek more minutes.<\/p>\n<p>In doing this, the increasingly aggressive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcbrimi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Miles McBride<\/a> will slide to the two-guard spot more often. More importantly, New York will have two strong backcourt defenders who they can reply upon.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Tyler Kolek gets the BLOCK and BANGS the 3 in transition! \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Im8TtB791i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Im8TtB791i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Knicks Post (@knicks_post) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/knicks_post\/status\/1843065328470733142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 6, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Lastly, giving Kolek more playing time will allow at least one more starter to rest more than they currently are, which could help them execute in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p>To that point, Brunson shooting just 43.8 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/traditional?PerMode=PerGame&amp;Period=4&amp;Season=2024-25&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=TEAM_ABBREVIATION\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in the fourth quarter<\/a>. Anunoby has been even worse, shooting 38.1 percent from the floor and 21.2 percent from deep in the final frame.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, for Kolek, his most important supporter may be <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/11\/10\/sports\/knicks-pleased-with-tyler-koleks-development-hes-a-worker\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">his biggest advocate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach day he gets better,\u201d Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau says, per the New York Post\u2019s Peter Botte. \u201cHe\u2019s got a great feel for the game, and he\u2019s a worker. He\u2019s still learning\u2026 with understanding what\u2019s happening with defenses and also as he becomes more familiar with the people that he\u2019s guarding and the teams.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI think each time out, you can see his confidence growing. We have a lot of confidence in him, and I see it every day.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As Thibodeau notes, Kolek needs reps to further familiarize himself with opposing team\u2019s players and schemes. That being said, he\u2019s not as green behind the ears as some other players in his class because he\u2019s a four-year college player. His experience and maturity level being what they are, his learning curve <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/22\/knicks-tom-thibodeau-true-thoughts-rookie-tyler-kolek-revealed\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">may not be too steep<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With the basketball IQ he demonstrated in college, there\u2019s even more reason to believe he can quickly get up to speed. He was arguably <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/05\/20\/tyler-kolek-2024-nba-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">the best facilitator in college<\/a>, a byproduct of his skill and processing ability. If getting steady minutes, his ability to help an offense hum without needing to score will help everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Kolek\u2019s three-point stroke being so pure is relevant when considering Brunson and Anunoby\u2019s outside efficiency in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Tyler Kolek making plays for the Knicks <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/L5raNwtFQR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/L5raNwtFQR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KnicksCentral\/status\/1854337867062935822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Payne is shooting just 26.7 percent from three in 2024-25, seeming to regress from his past five seasons. For comparison, Kolek made 39.3 percent of his threes in his final two college seasons and has started 2024-25 off shooting 75.0 percent from deep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After all the talk during the offseason, the New York Knicks being just 4-5 to start the season wasn\u2019t on anyone\u2019s bingo card. For all of their talent, the Knicks are basically a middling team. They average 114.4 points per game, 14th in the NBA. They surrender 111.2 points per game, 13th in the NBA. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":106547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1608,62],"tags":[1417,213,1484,46255],"class_list":["post-106180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-knicks","category-basketball","category-nba","tag-jalen-brunson","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-mikal-bridges","tag-tyler-kolek"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}