Tyler Kolek and the rest of the Knicks' young core got a major boost as the Knicks made a big move to hire St. Joseph’s head coach Billy Lange to run their player development program, according to a report from the New York Post's Stefan Bondy.
Lange has coached St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia for the previous six seasons but has been involved in the college scene since the mid-1990s. He also served in a developmental role with the Philadelphia 76ers and was seen as a key part of the development of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, TJ McConnell, and others, according to Bondy.
The Knicks have a handful of young players with high upside, and Lange will now become a key factor in unlocking that potential. Aside from Kolek, the Knicks have second-year players Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti, both of whom the Knicks hope can develop into contributing players.
Kolek is in a unique spot
Entering Summer League play, Kolek had an opportunity to prove that he could step into the backup point guard role behind Jalen Brunson. Kolek struggled mightily, however, both from a shooting perspective and a game management perspective.
Even Kolek's passing, something he was highly touted for coming into the league, looked suspect, as he committed numerous sloppy turnovers.
All of that said, he is in a unique spot heading into the season. Outside of Brunson, he is the only true point guard on the roster. It seems that Deuce McBride will be handling the backup point guard responsibilities by default. However, if he struggles in that role, Kolek could get a shot, and Lange will be tasked with preparing him for that opportunity.
Looking down the road
The real development will be geared towards readying the young core to step into a bigger role beyond this season. Sure, injuries happen and players struggle, but outside of something unforeseen occurring, there are only so many minutes to go around.
The Knicks roster is only going to get more expensive. If ownership wants to continue to dance around the second apron, the development of their recent draft picks becomes a necessity. Hukporti may get solid minutes this year if the Knicks take a cautious route in managing how many games injury-prone Mitchell Robinson plays.
Furthermore, if they decide against extending him, there is a chance they will move on from their longest-tenured player during the year, in which case Hukporti will be thrown into the fire faster than planned.