Knicks Newest Player Forming Case for Starting Job

The Statue of the Liberty might not be the only French gift that New York Knicks fans comes to appreciate during America's upcoming semiquincentennial.

For the time being, the Knicks have avoided the flashy additions that have come to define their offseasons. This time around, the headliners are depth stars Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, the latter of whom is offering the true die-hards a sneak peak of what he can offer in Manhattan.

Yabusele is one of the headliners of France's ongoing run at EuroBasket 2025, serving as the captain for Les Bleus as successor to former Knick Evan Fournier. The forward put up un véritable exploit in France's 83-76 win over previously-undefeated Poland on Tuesday, scoring 36 points in securing advancement to the tournament's knockout round.

Such an output came on a bittersweet day for the French, who found out that they would go without Washington Wizards standout Alex Sarr for the rest of the tournament. Yabusele and the rest of Les Bleus came conjured up a win in Group D on Thursday with a blowout win over Iceland, one where the Knicks addition was one of eight men in double-figures.

Knicks fans will be pleased to know that Yabusele sees comparisons between the Les Bleus and Manhattan's basketball blues, which sits perfectly well with the former Philadelphia 76er.

“You can tell that they have a special bonding between each other," Yabusele said before the tournament, per Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. "When they go on the court together, it's like they try to kill the other team. They know each other pretty well. They made it so far this year in the playoffs, but year after year, you can just see their progress. So, for me, it was just natural, because I wanted to be part of this. It's one of the toughest crowds, people know it. So, to be able to go there and be part of this is just something special.”

Guerschon Yabusele DOMINATES for France 😤

36 PTS
6 3PM
6 REB
2 BLK

Watch all the EuroBasket action live on Courtside 1891: https://t.co/fPC0xWqtRn pic.twitter.com/5WEcie5UeF
— NBA (@NBA) September 2, 2025

Is Yabusele Making A Starting Cinq Case?

Yabusele and Clarkson have no doubt been brought in to shore up the Knicks' second unit, which finished dead-last in scoring last year. But with the Knicks' starting five lingering as a prevailing talking point this offseason, is Yabusele making his case?

The Knicks were nothing if not consistent last season: some combination of OG Anunoby/Mikal Bridges/Jalen Brunson/Josh Hart/Karl-Anthony Towns was on the floor for 940 minutes last year, the most common grouping in the Association by over 200. Nonetheless, some clamored to see a larger presence enter the five when Mitchell Robinson came back from injury, and that request was fulfilled once New York fell in an 0-2 hole during the Eastern Conference Finals, as the tenured big man stepped in for Hart during the final four games.

With Mike Brown on board, the conversation has not ceased, as some hope to see Robinson reprise his role in the opening five, though Hart's hustle has garnered him plenty of supporters as well. Some would even prefer to see Hart and Robinson play together with the newly-extended Mikal Bridges taking a set in turn.

All that and more could blur, but not fully beat, Yabusele's case for primary minutes, but his ongoing work with France should at least give the team something to think about.

Yabusele brings with him plenty of professional championship panache not common on this New York roster: during a five-year non-NBA sabbatical between tenures with Boston and Philadelphia, Yabusele won titles in Spain and his native France, who also picking up a pair of Olympic silver medals with the national club. Teams with Yabusele know how to win and his at time at the on-court helm of Les Bleus is further solidifying that.

"He's our leader. He's our captain, and we have to follow him," French teammate Isaia Cordinier said after Tuesday's masterpiece, per Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews. "He's doing amazing. He's very vocal and leads by example. For us, the new veterans, even though we're still young, it's about building that same bond and chemistry. Nothing can break that."

The bulky 6-8, 265-lb. Yabusele also gives the Knicks the best of both worlds when it comes to one of their more unique advantages: Robinson remains one of the last deadly weapons from a bygone era, a traditional center whose primary purpose is to haul in rebounds and reject visitors on both ends.

Though listed more as a forward, Yabusele has proven capable of doing that while adapting to the apparent shooting requirements of a modern NBA workload: half of his aforementioned tallies from the recent French fracas came from beyond the arc and he shot a career-best 38 percent during his busy time in Philadelphia last time around.

Such shooting could help the Knicks get off to better starts and play more boring games more suitable for contenders: New York kept up with the first quarter trends during the regular seasons but fell to the top of the bottom half of opening period statistics when the playoffs tipped off. Not every game needs to be a memory and Yabusele's entrance could help them play a more consistent brand as they inch closer toward legitimate title contention.

It'd perhaps be silly to assume that Yabusele would be an immediate entrant into the starting five. With Brown succeeding Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks will likely look for any brand of continuity. Sticking with the six up for major roles would be a good way to get off a good start, which evaded them last year and had them chasing Cleveland and Boston all regular season.

But Yabusele has certainly pushed the Knicks in an intriguing new direction and made them one of the more lop-sided winners of the offseason. The team has not been adverse to in-season lineup changes: Quentin Grimes usurped Fournier in 2022 before he himself lost the shooting guard role to Donte DiVincenzo. Anunoby and Hart were deadline acquisitions, while Towns was added in the final offseason hours.

Yabusele isn't the Knicks' MVP quite yet. But what he's doing overseas is certainly . . . a start.

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