Heading into his sophomore season, Tyler Kolek has a real opportunity to earn rotation minutes at the guard spot behind Jalen Brunson. However, he has struggled mightily through the Knicks' first two summer league games, and now that opportunity might be slipping away.
As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn't put too much stock in rookies' performances in summer league. Nerves are high, and they need a period of time to adjust; for most players, it's their first professional experience. That said, when second-year players struggle, it is usually telling.
The Knicks have a trio of veteran free-agent guards who are currently unsigned. For Kolek, it was an opportunity to show that he was capable of taking a leap and earning some of those minutes. Through two games, things haven't been promising for the second-year guard. That said, he will have at least three more opportunities to try to right the ship.
Kolek has struggled on the court
Kolek's game is still raw in many ways, specifically his outside shooting ability and creation in the halfcourt. Through the first two games of summer league, that was painfully evident. In the Knicks' opening game, Kolek went 4-of-11 from the field and 0-of-5 from three. Things got even worse in New York's second game, where Kolek was an abysmal 1-of-13 from the field and 0-of-6 from deep.
The most polished part of Kolek's game is his passing ability. Even that has been a struggle so far, though. In the Knicks' 94-81 loss to the Celtics, Kolek had as many turnovers as he had assists. Through two games, he has now turned the ball over a whopping nine times.
There is no sugar coating it, for someone who is known as a pass-first guard, that type of display is unacceptable, and won't help his chances of cracking the rotation. On the other end of the floor, Kolek has looked just as lost.
Kolek is not the only one struggling and something has to change
While Kolek has had plenty of struggles, he is not alone. Pacome Dadiet has been inefficient from the floor, going just 3-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-5 from three in the Knicks' loss to Boston.
The Knicks were able to add some much-needed depth this offseason, but their roster remains top-heavy and expensive. The Knicks desperately need some of their young core to take a leap and contribute positive minutes this year, specifically if the Knicks plan to compete at a high level for multiple years.