Knicks Rookie Tyler Kolek Wins G League Winter Showcase Finals MVP

Fellow Knicks rookies Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti got in on the fun off the bench as well. Dadiet had 11 points and four rebounds, shooting four-of-seven from the field. Hukporti had eight points, three rebounds, and three blocks, making four of his five shot attempts.

Veteran wing T.J. Warren led the Knicks in scoring with 24 points. Warren was named to the All-Showcase team, averaging over 22 points per game in the tournament. 

All five starters for the Knicks scored double digits, and former UCLA standout and New York native Moses Brown had an adorable-double, with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks. 

The Winter Showcase Finals was just Kolek's fourth G League game. In those games, he's averaging 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. He's appeared in 17 games for the big league club, mostly in garbage time. In the four NBA games Kolek has played at least 10 minutes, he's averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 45.5% from three.

Kolek was the fourth pick in the 2nd round of the 2024 NBA Draft after a four-year college career, with his freshman year at George Mason before transferring to Marquette. At Marquette, Kolek was a 2x All-Big East selection and 2x All-American. He was the Big East Player of the Year in 2022-2023.

Kolek led the Big East in assists per game in all three of his seasons at Marquette, leading the entire nation with 7.7 per game in his senior year. Those assists, paired with his 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 49.6% from the field and 38.8% from three made him an intriguing draft prospect. 

His performance on the overall season, his mature and nuanced approach to the game, and his ability to show up in big games were all factors in the Knicks' decision to acquire Kolek.

In the NCAA tournament his senior year, Kolek led Marquette to the Sweet 16, averaging 18.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game in the tournament, shooting 57.5% from the field. Marquette lost in the Sweet 16 to fan favorite D.J. Burns and NC State. 

The Knicks are very excited about what Kolek brings to the table. 

They are currently employing the same strategy with him, Dadiet, and Hukporti that the team employed with Duece McBride: Spending most of their time with the NBA team, but getting game reps with the G League squad when the schedule doesn't conflict. Kolek has been averaging over 30 minutes per game in his G League contest seeing high-leveled defenses and getting better every game.