SUMMARY
- Tyler Kolek takes inspiration from Jalen Brunson as well as Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard.
- The Knicks have found a perfect fit to pair alongside their bigs such as OG Anunoby and Julius Randle.
If you look at Tyler Kolek alone, the 23-year-old possesses great potential to provide a team with valuable support on the offensive end. And for a team like the New York Knicks, his contributions could help them reach past the stratosphere. The Knicks are coming off an impressive season needless to say, but the addition of Kolek could give them a much-required boost.
Kolek was recently interviewed by Sam Vecenie of the Game Theory Podcast and he addressed what makes him standout as a point guard. He said, “I feel like my game is very different than a lot of people. You know, there’s not really any table-setting guys in the league anymore. The point guard position has turned into more scorers.”
“I love watching Jalen Brunson. Just the way he does it at his size. His footwork is really incredible.”
–– Knicks #34 pick Tyler Kolek on whose film he watches: Brunson, Luka & Dame
Kolek breaks down his own film: https://t.co/r2ZkVcCqW6 pic.twitter.com/l7kmpjSgN3
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 4, 2024
The No.34 overall pick added, “I feel like a lot of guys stars, the guys that really love to score the ball love to play with me just cause I find them at any position and have those conversations of where they like the ball, what kind of spots they like the ball in.”
Kolek added, “But you know, I love watching Jalen Brunson, just for what he does at his size. His footwork is really incredible. I love watching Luka [Doncic]. You know, his pace, the way he kinda plays under control at all times.” Brunson and Doncic had historic runs during the NBA playoffs this year. And the latter made his first NBA Finals appearance.
Damian Lillard was Tyler Kolek’s favorite player at one point
Tyler Kolek himself is comparatively smaller than most guards in the league standing at 6’1” feet tall. Of course, modeling his game after Brunson would be a no-brainer, but the Marquette star also claims that he likes watching Damian Lillard as well.
“And then the way Damian Lillard kinda shoots off the dribble. It’s really special. When he was in Portland, he was definitely my favorite player to watch, and just the way he gets into it,” he added.
These are stars who solely rely on their ability to make plays and score the ball efficiently, especially due to the height disadvantage they have against most opponents. Lillard is someone who tends to pay more attention to scoring and facilitation while allowing his teammates to run things on the defensive end, somewhere he can barely perform at the best of his abilities.
Tyler Kolek is a perfect fit for the Knicks
According to several experts, the Knicks had the biggest steal in the NBA draft. During the 2023-24 season, the Knicks thrived in the pick-and-roll ranking sixth in the league in pick-and-roll efficiency. Additionally, they’ve grown to rely on their perimeter shooting since they were down most of their big men as well.
Tyler Kolek Thread
Kolek is a PG whose best trait is his passing, particularly out of the PnR. He’s really good at passing his bigs open and leading them into open space, as he does here. He’s constantly looking to set teammates up pic.twitter.com/39oJBsmauh
— Ariel (@APachecoNBA) June 28, 2024
Kolek may fit it perfectly as someone who loves to pass the ball and work in pick-and-roll situations. With Julius Randle making a return next season, he and Kolek could work wonders. The Knicks also added defensive specialist Mikal Bridges to the roster and re-signed OG Anunoby to an extension not too long after. The Knicks look like a serious threat.