Tyler Nickel Is Already a Knicks Revelation in More Ways Than One

Coming out of Vanderbilt University, Knicks second-round pick Tyler Nickel was known for one thing: his sharpshooting, being one of the best at the collegiate level from the outside. While the NBA Summer League isn't a great indicator of how a young player will perform in the league— Kevin Knox in 2018 comes to mind—what Nickel did over the weekend highlighted his ability to shoot from beyond the arc for New York.

Nickel shot 40% from three on 3.1 attempts per game at Vanderbilt last season. Fast forward to July and the Knicks' rookie has done it again during these first two Summer League games, shooting 47.6% from deep.

Nickel made his summer league debut against the Nets on Friday, playing 18 minutes, and was 6-of-10 from three, tallying 18 points that night. One of the things the Knicks loved about Nickel was his ability to get open and make shots, and he showed that electric catch-and-shoot prowess he displayed at Vandy all night.

The first came with 3:07 seconds left in the first. Nickel caught a pass and drained a three from the corner. The next came after Dillon Jones was caught in traffic under the rim. He immediately found Nickel, and again, the second-round pick drained it from three. The next four shots were no different.

Excited for Tyler Nickel to win the Knicks a playoff game by himself one day
pic.twitter.com/X1eGHY0buS
— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) July 10, 2026

Nickel was the leading scorer against the Nets and again against the Spurs. In 30 minutes, Nickel was 6-for-14 with 16 points. Eleven came in the first half, where he made a trio of threes. His most impressive shot came when Liam Robinson got the ball to Nickel, and despite the pass having a little too much height and Spurs guard RJ Davis in his face, he still hit the three.

After the Summer League loss to the Nets, Nickel was asked about his off-the-catch shooting. He made several comparisons to a few guys around the league.

"I feel really comfortable shooting off the move, so like Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Sam Hauser. But then I have my own type of way of being," Nickel said, according to the New York Post's Stefon Bondy. "So it's kind of a mix of a lot of people but also myself."

Nickel working on defense

Shooting wasn't the only thing Nickel flaunted. According to the New York Post, Knicks assistant coach T.J. Saint—who's leading the Summer League squad—said the one thing the rookie has been working on all week is his defense, and he showed a bit of it against the Spurs.

(Nickel has) been shooting all right. His defense has actually been impressive in the camp. When we were in the airport the other day, I went over to talk to him, and he was studying our playbook, so I already like where he’s at, getting ahead of the game.
T.J. Saint, Knicks assistant coach

Nickel had two blocked shots that game. He swatted what would have been an easy layup in the second quarter. Defense will always be the red flag for Nickel, and it's something he will continue to work on, so it's good to see it playing out on the court a bit.

It's still important that he continue to work on that defense, though. Nickel is said to be fine at defending guys his size. Things tend to break down a bit when he's up against somebody bigger than him. He also lacks the raw speed to catch up with explosive players.

Tyler Nickel blocks a shot. — Tyler Nickel's defense is a concern, but that doesn't mean he can't improve. In fact, the NBA Summer League has already shown that he's moving in the right direction. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Everybody knows Nickel can shoot. If he takes his defense to another gear, it's one way the second-round pick can gain a little more trust from the team that drafted him. Needless to say, the Knicks already have plenty of reasons to be excited about his outlook after a brief summertime sample size.

Add us as a preferred source on Google