Knicks Hope Forward's Momentum Continues

New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele has been on an upward trajectory ever since he left the NBA back in 2019.

Yabusele was a first-round pick back in 2016, but he was half-baked and unprepared to play legitimate NBA minutes. After a few years overseas and a brilliant run at the Paris Olympics last summer, Yabusele earned a one-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Yabusele played well with the Sixers, leading to him signing a two-year contract with the Knicks. Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale thinks Yabusele could continue his trajectory in the NBA in New York.

"Guerschon Yabusele is riding a career high after a five-year hiatus from the NBA followed by an "I'm back" return last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. It would still be a stretch to declare him on the radar when he wound up signing a two-year deal worth (slightly) less than the mid-level exception," Favale wrote.

"... Putting down 38 percent of his threes on more than five attempts per 36 minutes elevated Yabusele's profile more than anything. There's some question whether it's for real, but the outside improvement dates back to his time with Real Madrid."

"His ancillary scoring layers are the real gems. He can effectively attack closeouts (62.7 percent shooting on drives), get in-between buckets after setting and slipping screens, leak out in transition (1.49 points per possession) and also has some dead-stop creation in his arsenal."

Yabusele has gotten better year after year and that continued when he reached the NBA.

Now that he has a true identity and a role for a contending team, Yabusele may finally find his peak as an NBA player.

If the Knicks get the best version of Yabusele the basketball world has seen, it will significantly increase New York's chances of winning a championship next season.