Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek (13) reacts after making a baked during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks Prospect Inches Closer to Carving Out Rotational Role

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Nov 29, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks, a month into their season, have fully come to blows with the injury bug.

It's already robbed them of the presences of OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet, each off to some of the better starts of their veteran careers, for extended periods, and the big men have had plenty of physical ailments to hold their health back. More optimistic Knicks fans, though, would look at these early speed bumps as opportunity, with some of the less-experienced benchwarmers finally receiving the occasional calls-up from the depths of Mike Brown's rotations.

New York Knicks Guard Landry Shamet Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

One player who's taken advantage of the minutes suddenly-made available by Shamet's shoulder injury has been Tyler Kolek, the little-used backup point guard who'd previously done little to prove himself as a consistent back court option.

Shamet was shooting lights-out from distance before he was suddenly removed from the regular rotation, and as dynamic as Kolek's occasionally looked, he's no off-ball specialist. He's played his own game well since re-emerging in the Knicks' lineups, and backed it up over the most recent of his four-straight games of double-digit minutes.

Kolek's Growing Impact

Five points in the Knicks' 118-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks don't look like much, but he offered a few clear examples of how he can benefit the rest of Brown's proven pieces.

For one, Kolek knocked down a big fourth-quarter 3-pointer that elicited a fitting crowd pop, filling in some of Shamet's impact in hitting from deep in three of his last four outings. And though he's still far from the sort of off-ball sniper who requires constant attention, he leveraged his awareness and effort to cut for his second unassisted bucket of the evening.

New York Knicks Guard Tyler Kolek Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Kolek's ability to take pressure off of Brunson as a part-time handler and disruption as a ball-pest have caught the attention of the New York masses in the past, as those are just the sort of skills that they need in a backup guard. But on a Knicks roster that already steadily employs plenty of other guard options in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson, these mounting instances of his ability to play off of more proven teammates have built up his case as an increasingly-intriguing weapon worth utilizing.

For a Knicks team that's continually struggled to clear the necessary minutes for their prospects to see in-game opportunities, this stretch makes for an especially big in-house win.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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