The New York Knicks may have found another key depth piece with backup guard Tyler Kolek after another massive performance on Christmas.
In the Knicks’ thrilling 126-124 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kolek shined once again, scoring 16 points, and dishing out nine assists off the bench as the Knicks erased a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to knock off the Cavaliers.
The performance follows his career-best game of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. In light of Miles McBride being on the shelf with an injury, Kolek has gotten an opportunity for more playing time and he has shown he’s worth a spot in the rotation.
Spending most of his rookie season out of the rotation and on the bench with Tom Thibodeau at the helm, new head coach Mike Brown has given him a chance in his second season.
After the game, Kolek gave credit to Brown’s system being a benefit to his development.
“He coaches me hard. You want a head coach that's on you - if he's not, that's more of a problem than the other way around,” Kolek said. “When you're a point guard, you're an extension of the coach. If he's trying to get his message across, he's going to say it to you. Maybe he didn't mean it AT you, but he's trying to get it across to everyone on the team.”
Kolek will look to keep the ball rolling into the new calendar year as he continues to develop into a key rotational piece for the Knicks.
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