Analyst Drops Bold Prediction on Knicks Rookie

The New York Knicks could have one of the most underrated players from the 2024 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Brener | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 15, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek (13) drives past Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't like to play rookies too much in his rotations, but there may be an exception for second-round point guard Tyler Kolek.

Kolek, 23, has four years of college experience under his belt (one at George Mason, three at Marquette), making him an atypical first-year player. Given his experience, Kolek learned how to be an effective table-setter in college for a top program, and that should get him a head start in the NBA.

Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus believes Kolek will lead the league in assists among rookies.

"Kolek will lead his class in assists per game, coming off the bench for the Knicks," Pincus writes.

It would be a surprise for a second-round pick to lead the league in any statistical category, let alone a big one like assists. For a player on a contending roster that already has a few point guards ahead of him in the depth chart only makes it tougher.

That being said, the 2024 NBA Draft class didn't have very many point guards to begin with. Only four true point guards were taken ahead of Kolek in the draft.

The San Antonio Spurs took Stephon Castle with the No. 4 overall pick, and he is probably the one player most likely to lead the league in assists other than Kolek. Rob Dillingham was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he isn't expected to be a major assist guy at the next level. The Oklahoma City Thunder are redshirting Nikola Topic after an ACL tear, and Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier won't see the floor much with Keyonte George ahead of him.

So it may sound far-fetched, but it could be a real possibility if Thibodeau can trust Kolek with some minutes.

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Published 2 Hours Ago

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.