One of the biggest storylines last season for the Knicks was the lack of contribution from their bench. Sure, the coaching tendencies of Tom Thibodeau may have compounded the issue, but their bench was weak. This season, their bench should be much improved, possibly even a strength, and Guerschon Yabusele just showed fans why.
Yabusele dropped a national team career high 36 points, while also draining a national team career high six 3-pointers, during France's 83-76 victory over Poland in Eurobasket play. France has been without some key players, such as Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Evan Fournier. As a team, they shot just 28.1 percent from deep.
The versatile big man was the crown jewel of the Knicks' offseason, after they inked him to a two-year, $12 million contract earlier this summer following a year in which he significantly outperformed the $2.1 million deal he had been on with Philadelphia last season.
Yabusele gives the Knicks incredible versatility
One of the huge advantages of having a player like Yabusele on your roster is the kind of positional versatility he brings to the table. While he doesn't have the height of a traditional center, he is incredibly strong, something that allows him to guard bigger players inside if the Knicks choose to play him as a small-ball big.
As he proved in France's most recent win, he also has the shooting to space the floor either on his own or alongside one of the Knicks' other bigs. A lineup with both Yabusele and Karl-Anthony Towns, who is arguably the best shooting big man on the planet, would be a nightmare for other teams to deal with on defense.
The pick-and-pop threat
They do not call Yabusele 'The Dancing Bear' for nothing. He has a fantastic combination of size and footwork, a quality that was once again on display during France's big win. On multiple occasions, he rolled to the basket with grace before finishing strong inside. Then there were times when he'd pop out for an open look after creating space for a teammate.
While Yabusele certainly isn't known for his defense, especially not his rim protection, even that looked strong during his latest display. He had two blocks on that end of the floor, which is an encouraging size for both Knicks' fans and the coaching staff. Still, what will be most important is for Yabusele to knock down shots and contribute offensively.