Knicks Prospects Have Major Fight Ahead of Them

Contenders in the NBA usually spare no expense at ensuring that their roster is in the best position to thrive in big games, placing all of their trust in experienced veterans who know how to maximize talent and play together.

Championship hopefuls like the New York Knicks are typically more interested in the present over the future, and while the team's certainly put more stock into their known quantities in the regular lineup, they've built up a decent collection of up-and-coming potential role players to continue bolstering the team's depth should they earn their way into real minutes.

NBA insider Keith Smith took some notes on every team around NBA Summer League, and acknowledged that although young Knicks prospects like Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara are well-liked and worthy of note, it won't be easy for them to crash their way into high-leverage roles.

“This is a tough rotation to crack. We have a lot of NBA veterans who are going to play a lot. But Pacome (Dadiet) looked a lot more comfortable this year than last year. Tyler (Kolek) got some run last year and we’re comfortable with playing him more this year. Ariel (Hukporti) was forced to play at time last year and he’s more ready if that happens again this year. And Kevin (McCullar Jr.) and MarJon (Beauchamp) both looked awesome out here (Las Vegas). We’re still figuring out the rest of the roster, but we hope all of those guys factor in somehow,” a Knicks scout said through Smith.

Many of those young Knicks, like Kolek and McCullar, are experienced collegiate pros, while others earned some stripes overseas and, in Beauchamp's case, with other Summer League runs over the years. The team they plan to join, though, doesn't have a nearly as many holes to fill as the Knicks have mouths to feed, meaning that the prospects are due for plenty of sitting and watching from the bench.

As tempting as their upsides are, the Knicks already know how to win in their present state. The veteran-led team is coming off of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and many of their peers got banged up enough to give the Knicks one of the best shots at winning it all this year. Mike Brown is more likely to play his deeper reserves than Tom Thibodeau was, but that doesn't mean he's readying for major upsets.

Kolek, for as tantalizing as he is as a Jalen Brunson backup, isn't reliable enough as a scorer to win him major minutes off of the bench. Hukporti is a vocal and tough frontcourt hustler, but there are more players slated in front of him than ever before. Beauchamp and Diawara will remain in and out of the lineup on their two-way contracts, getting continued reps in the G League between NBA games.

The Knicks already look to go at least nine-deep on the regular, a big step up from last season. Their usual five-man starting lineup, should they choose to keep it, is now supported by regular bench pieces in Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride and their new free agents in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, and they might not even be done spending on that front.

The young New Yorkers have features that could help these Knicks, but will likely have to continue waiting to find consistency.