In the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks made a move up the board. They had their sights set on Marquette guard Tyler Kolek, who surprisingly fell out of the first round.
To acquire the No. 34 overall pick, the Knicks sent three future second-round picks to the Portland Trail Blazers. With that selection, they got their man in Tyler Kolek.
Second-round picks don’t normally drum up too much interest among a fan base. But, this selection is one that got Knicks fans excited.
A backup point guard for Jalen Brunson who can run the offense was a void in the lineup after Immanuel Quickley was traded. There is optimism that the Marquette product can slide right into that role as a rookie, playing 10-15 minutes per night.
The Knicks are certainly confident in his abilities. They signed him to a four-year contract with $6.6 million guaranteed. That is a record-setting deal, as it is the most guaranteed money a second-round pick has ever received on a rookie contract.
Fans were excited to see him get on the court for the first time with his new team. He was in Las Vegas for the 2024 NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas and he immediately turned heads.
Against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday evening, Tyler Kolek got whatever he wanted on the court. He finished the game with seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists. His +9 plus/minus ratio was the highest on the team.
He provided plenty of highlights, consistently finding teammates for open shots. They converted seven times, but there were plenty more of assists left on the table had they been able to knock down some more attempts.
DJAceNBA on X shared a breakdown of Tyler Kolek’s first action with the Knicks. His passing ability really stood out.
Not only was he racking up assists, but how he was going about it was impressive. He was setting up defenders with different dribbles to create angles and open passing lanes.
Almost always the ball was put in a perfect spot for his teammate to make it count. Whether it was passes to big men rolling in pick-and-roll actions, finding shooters spotting up or in the open court, Tyler Kolek was getting it done.
The path to playing time in the NBA for second-round picks is not an easy one. Even for Tyler Kolek and his record-setting deal, he will have to earn his way into Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
It is clear that Tyler Kolek has the skill set to play in the NBA. One Summer League game isn’t going to have people pushing for him to be a starter, but he has the mentality it takes make it on a Thibodeau-coached team.
“I’m a worker…that’s my calling card. I’m going to be in the gym, I’m going to get better…Whatever the team needs, what the coach needs, that’s what I’m going to do,” Kolek said, via Newsday.
That is the exact kind of mindset he needs to have to succeed at the professional level. It certainly looks like the Knicks have gotten quite a steal with the No. 34 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
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