The New York Knicks can go ahead and shut down their search for a reliable backup point guard. They already have one.
It’s Tyler Kolek.
This isn’t just about him dropping 16 points and nine assists, while knocking down four of his five three-point attempts, in a rollicking come-from-behind Christmas Day victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Oh, that’s part of it. Because it has to be. But Kolek has now been delivering progressively more extended flashes for more than half the season.
Questioning the sustainability of the sophomore’s recent performance is no longer standard fare. Kolek permanently re-entered the rotation before Thanksgiving. In the 16 games since, he’s averaging over 15 points and eight assists per 36 minutes, while drilling 37.8 percent of his threes (14-of-37 in total), not to mention more than 57 percent of his twos. The Knicks have won his on-court stretches in this span by a total of 57 points.
Kolek’s extrapolated production isn’t merely coasting off limited playing time. He is averaging nearly 24 minutes per game over New York’s last five tilts. His scoring (11.4 points) and playmaking (6.6 assists) are right in line, if not better, than his per-36 marks.
Tyler Kolek is becoming undeniable for the Knicks
It is tempting, perhaps even responsible, to wonder whether the Knicks can truly trust Kolek when it matters most. The idea of a contender leaning on a 24-year-old with fewer than 1,000 career minutes under his belt is harrowing.
Everyone needs to get past it. Kolek is beginning to address or put to bed all of the foremost questions.
Can he be depended upon to captain the offense when Jalen Brunson is catching a breather? New York posted an offensive rating of 155 against the Cavs with Kolek going it alone. Granted, this is an outlier. The Knicks’ offensive rating is under 112 for the season when Kolek plays without Brunson. That’s the equivalent of a bottom-five ranking.
Still, this mark is on the rise. The Knicks also have around a 119 offensive rating when Kolek is running alongside Karl-Anthony Towns without Brunson. That accounts for a huge swathe of Kolek’s solo stints, and would be good enough for a top-seven or top-eight offense overall.
Can Kolek play beside Brunson, though? The answer is officially a resounding yes. Mike Brown probably needs to fire the Brunson-Kolek-Jordan Clarkson minutes into the sun, but the first two are working quite well together. After their win over Cleveland, the Knicks have close to a plus-eight net rating in Brunson-Kolek minutes without Clarkson.
Can Kolek knock down threes? The jury is still out here. But Kolek is getting less hesitant firing off triples in general. He has attempted 19 threes over the past five games, making them at a 42.1 percent clip (8-of-19). Though the 4-of-5 Cleveland showing does a lot of the heavy lifting, a volume rate of nearly six treys per 36 minutes is reasonable—and has a chance of getting higher.
The Knicks can now plan their trade deadline around Tyler Kolek
Mistakes will remain part of the Tyler Kolek experience. There will be frustrating turnovers, and defensive lapses. That’s fine. It’s expected. He’s a sophomore. He’s still hashing out chemistry and timing with his teammates.
The Knicks can stomach those bumps, and still win. Not only that, but Kolek can be among the catalysts driving those wins. We are witnessing it right now, including in crunch time.
New York’s front office should adjust its trade-deadline approach accordingly. Throw all these reported backup-point-guard targets by the wayside. Pursue another bigger wing. Or Mitchell Robinson insurance. Or do nothing.
Well, okay, the Knicks shouldn’t do nothing. But you get the point. Their search for a backup point man is over. Tyler Kolek has ended it.