Tyler Kolek's Rising Case for Knicks Promotion Just Hit a Setback

Amidst the Knicks’ up and down start to the season, there have been some negative sentiments surrounding the team and its play. The inconsistent play of Jalen Brunson, the offensive struggles of Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride, and the lackluster play of the bench has all been topics of discussion.

But it has’t all been bad. Among the few positives fans have been encouraged by is the early season play of Tyler Kolek.

The third year point guard was upgraded to the backup point guard role after Jose Alvarado injured his ankle last week. And since then, Kolek had looked better and better throughout his first three games.

The passing, as it always had been, looked great. He was getting guys involved, consistently toeing the line between aggression and ball protection. New York’s second unit offense looked much better and more crisp. The shooting was good enough. And he was able to hold his own defensively more so than he had in the past.

Fans began questioning if the backup point guard role was becoming his to lose moving forward. It still may end up being that way depending on how long Alvarado is out. But on Friday night, we saw why there is still very much a discussion worth having.

Tyler Kolek's performance against the 76ers reinforces Knicks' backup point guard dilemma

Kolek had his worst game of the season and it came at a pretty unfortunate time. In a game in which the Knicks could have gotten back to .500 and done so against a rival 76ers team, the point guard’s weaknesses were on display.

Kolek’s impressive streak of recording 21 assists without a turnover came to an end as he turned the ball over twice in just 13 minutes. He went just 1-3 from the field. And he wasn’t great defensively either.

It also needs to be said that Kolek was far from the only or even the biggest problem. Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Andre Drummond, and Landry Shamet all turned in disappointing performances of their own.

Kolek still finished the night as just one of three Knicks with a positive plus-minus. Also, when on the court with Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks were a +8.7 per 100 possessions. But Friday night was still evidence that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to the Knicks' backup point guard question.

Alvarado clearly still provides value to this team. His defense and energy were on full display throughout the Knicks’ postseason run. But he, like Kolek, has his weaknesses. His shooting is at times even more streaky than Kolek’s. And while he’s a stable offensive initiator, he’s nowhere near the passer or playmaker that Kolek is. Both provide very obvious pros and cons. Friday night just reminded many of that.

Kolek has shown plenty of growth and should continue getting opportunities to prove himself. And even though Mike Brown’s recent quotes surrounding Alvarado has created some uncertainty about the guard’s return, Kolek should remain in the rotation to some degree whenever that ends up occurring.

But it’s becoming increasingly evident that the spot is turning into a very fluid situation.

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