Delon Wright Impresses in First Knicks Start

Delon Wright got the New York Knicks off to a strong start in a showdown against his former employer.

Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Knicks guard Delon Wright (0) during pregame warmups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

No Jalen Brunson, no Miles McBride, no Cameron Payne ... just Wright for the New York Knicks.

Some were perhaps surprised to see Delon Wright leap into the starting lineup when the Knicks faced the Milwaukee Bucks in a potential first-round playoff preview on Friday night, as they would've preferred to see rookie passing sensation Tyler Kolek.

Wright, however, immediately vindicated such faith with a 12-point, four-assist showing en route to a 116-107 victory, allowing the Knicks (46-27) to complete a season sweep of the Bucks.

“I was going back and forth on [who to start], and I was comfortable with both," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said of the choice between Wright and Kolek, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. "A lot of it was based on I wasn’t quite sure who they were going start. Their size was a factor in it. But I was comfortable and then you read the game like, ‘What do you need? What do you need more of?’ Both guys are really good players, they have different strengths, so you can adjust as the game goes.”

Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Delon Wright (0) warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Wright wound up playing 30 minutes while Kolek got 17 and lived up to his playmaking reputation with five assists. The Knicks were also a plus-18 on the scoreboard when the rookie Kolek was on the floor.

The night, however, was right for Wright: he got the Knicks off to a sterling start, setting up Mikal Bridges' first tallies of the game and scoring half of their first 20 points as they built a lasting lead. Four points came on offensive rebounds as New York got back in the win column.

Entering Friday's game, Wright had 36 total minutes to his Knicks name, 12 of which came in Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers when Payne was lost to his in-game ankle ailment.

It could be argued that, like Michael Jordan before him, Wright took things personally: Milwaukee dealt him to the Knicks as part of a larger deal that also acquired both Kyle Kuzma and former New Yorker Jericho Sims (who didn't play on Friday due to a thumb injury). Friday's effort was thus a vindicative effort for Wright, who has now played for 10 teams since he entered the Association as the 20th pick of the 2015 draft.

pic.twitter.com/h6q5gR8TQI

— Delon Wright (@delonwright) March 29, 2025

Wright made sure the basketball world was aware of Friday's happening: in the aftermath, he posted a GIF of Darla, the invasive child menace from the 2003 animated movie "Finding Nemo," as well as thanks for social media congratulations from his brother Dorrell, a fellow first-round pick and 2006 champion with the Miami Heat.

“Definitely [a good feeling],” Wright said of Friday's game, per Schwartz. “I feel like every team that I leave, I always have a good game the first game back or the first time playing them. I just wanted to keep that streak going.”

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