Knicks May Have New Hidden Gem

The New York Knicks have provided the NBA viewing audience with a seemingly-never ending flood of headlines. They fired their old coach before bringing in a new one, solidified themselves as candidates for some of the more intriguing free agents out there and, most recently, locked in more of their core for the long haul.

They've earned the honorable distinction as contenders, a position they've longed to hold entering a season. As much as they've done to add to their impressive finish in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals, one of their more subtle signings is already viewed as one of the most indicative of their successful summer.

Guerschon Yabusele was named by Bleacher Report's Dan Favale as the team's hidden gem just a month after signing to his new team. He's one of the hired guns that New York brought in during free agency to bolster their once-thin bench, having proven himself in last season's return to the NBA.

"Putting down 38 percent of his threes on more than five attempts per 36 minutes elevated Yabusele's profile more than anything," Favale wrote. "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."

Favale points out how Yabusele doesn't quite fit into the list's overall theme, which generally covers end-of-the-bench prospects waiting for their breakout opportunity. Yabusele is only entering his fourth NBA season, but that fails to account for the five-year hiatus the 29-year-old embarked on after his first two underwhelming seasons.

Now that he's returned to the league, he's ready to contribute as a shooter and scorer from the front court, a good complement to their defensively-tilted forwards and a decent bet to frighten opposing defensive units alongside fellow sniper Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks' getting Yabusele for cheap also opened up a little money for the rest of their offseason, which they continue benefitting from over a month after inking the deal.