The New York Knicks will play their first 2022 NBA Summer League game on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors. It’s been nearly three months since New York took the court on Apr. 10 for the regular-season finale against Toronto.
In the final days of 2021-22, it was Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin who took over for the Knicks. And for the first time since being drafted in 2020, Quickley and Toppin won’t be participating in summer league. That clears the way for a few other younger stars to get to enjoy the spotlight in Las Vegas.
Here’s a list of four players to watch in particular. Two are set to make their summer league debuts, while the other two will be participating for the second time.
4 Knicks players to watch in the 2022 NBA Summer League
4: Jean Montero
Jean Montero was projected to be a late first-round/second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but instead, he went undrafted and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with New York after the draft. The 19-year-old guard recently played for Team Overtime of Overtime Elite in the league’s inaugural season.
Montero participated in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore. in April. He scored a game-high 23 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. The following month at the draft combine in Chicago, he unfortunately injured his ankle. Summer league will be his first chance to silence the people who are doubting him.
His quickness, ball handling skills, and ability to set up his teammates for open looks will help him to stand out in Vegas. Montero was listed as the top undrafted summer league prospect by Bleacher Report, and the Knicks were the lucky ones to snag him after the conclusion of the draft.
Expect to see Montero cook against opposing defenses, and something to keep an eye on is his 3-point shot. He shot 28% with Team Overtime, but he shot 4-of-8 at the Nike Hoop Summit. If he can develop a consistent deep shot, his stock will continue to rise.
3: Trevor Keels
New York was expected to walk away from the 2022 draft with both a lottery pick and second-round selection, but after trading away the No. 11 pick, the Knicks’ night concluded after Duke’s Trevor Keels was selected at No. 42.
The 6’4” guard averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 36 games for the Blue Devils while shooting 42% from the field and 31.2% from deep. His role in Duke’s run to the Final Four landed him a spot on the ACC All-Rookie Team.
With a 224-pound frame and a 6’7” wingspan, Keels plays extremely physical on both ends of the floor. He doesn’t have a strong 3-point shot, which is a concern, but he helps to space the floor. He uses his stout frame to power his way to the rim, which is where he scores the majority of his points.
With Jericho Sims’ two-way contract being converted to a standard deal, a two-way slot was left vacant, which will now be occupied by Keels. The 18-year-old likely won’t get a lot of time on the court at Madison Square Garden (we know how Tom Thibodeau is), so fans should attend a few games in Westchester to get a good look at him.
In the meantime, tune into New York’s summer league games to watch the Knicks’ most recent draft pick.
2: Jericho Sims
New York selected Jericho Sims with the No. 58 pick in 2021, and after playing in 41 games as a rookie, Sims’ two-way contract was converted to a partially guaranteed three-year deal on Thursday.
To close out the 2021-22 season, the 6’9” center had a double-double against the Nets with 10 points (his career-high) and 13 rebounds on Apr. 6. Four days later, he posted a career-high 14 rebounds in the final game of the season.
After taking summer league by storm last year with his ability to soar through the air, Sims will be back in action for round two.
There's hops and then there's Jericho Sims' hops. pic.twitter.com/tp8O0ZwFMi
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) August 8, 2021
With Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein playing behind Mitchell Robinson at the five, that position will be a lot of fun to watch in 2022-23. A little bit of summer league action will keep fans satisfied until October.
New York’s enjoyed draft success in recent years, and Sims is no exception. The Knicks made the right move by converting him to a standard deal. Expect the next week to be full of several lobs to Sims, who has no issue with out-jumping his competition.
1: Quentin Grimes
Quentin Grimes’ name has been at the center of many recent conversations held by Knicks fans. With the Evan Fournier trade rumors floating around, the presumption is that it’ll be Grimes who will be the team’s starting shooting guard in 2022-23.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, New York has reservations about a Jalen Brunson-Fournier backcourt, and reasonably so considering that the defense would be nonexistent. There are pros and cons to trading Fournier, but Grimes is a strong 3-and-D wing who deserves to be on the court more.
The 22-year-old was limited in his rookie season with the Knicks, but when he played, he displayed a lot of promise. He averaged 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist while shooting 40.4% from the floor and 38.1% from the 3-point line in 46 games.
With his first season under his belt and his first full offseason of work underway, Grimes needs to be given the green light next year. Out of all of the players on New York’s summer league roster, Grimes holds the most value. Expect to see Grimes make a huge leap during his sophomore season, but fans will first get to see him back on the floor in Vegas.
Knicks fan’s guide to 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas
The New York Knicks will make their 2022 NBA Summer League debut on Friday, July 8. Here's everything that you need to know.