Tyler Kolek is not used to being the first option off the bench at point guard. However, with last season's backup, Cam Payne, playing for the Indiana Pacers and Malcolm Brogdon suddenly retiring at the end of training camp, Kolek finds himself as the primary backup to Jalen Brunson at the point.
New York Knicks backup point guard Tyler Kolek is in an unfamiliar position. He is used to playing the point. He is just not used to being the primary backup to Knicks' All-Star Jalen Brunson.
Last season, Kolek was lucky to get mop-up minutes. He was the backup to the backup, Cam Payne, who is now playing in Indiana. He was looked at in training camp as the third team point guard behind Malcolm Brodgon, but the summer time acquisition retired at the end of camp and head coach Mike Brown did not have to look far to find his man.
Brown could have scoured the waiver wire or signed a free agent to play as opposed to Kolek. It is obvious he has confidence in Kolek to run the offense when Brunson is off the floor.
“For me, it was just every single day come into the gym and work hard and show what I could do," Kolek said after practice Saturday as reported by the New York Post. "Hopefully, that would lead to some time on the floor… I had the whole training camp and a lot of the summer with the coaching staff and the preseason to really get a grasp of the offense.”
Kolek played in 41 games last season under former coach Tom Thibodeau, but only saw 7.2 minutes per appearance. He was a second-round draft pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“I’m just trying to set up the offense and do what I’m asked by Coach,” Kolek said. “Cam Payne last year actually taught me something. He was the backup last year and just kind of learned from him."
Kolek said he wants to contribute the most he can to his team when he is on the floor. He is willing to do whatever takes to help the team win. He studies Brunson and the opponent and then goes to work on the floor when his name is called.
“Coming into this role, when you get into the game, you want to change it in some way," Kolek said. "You want to change the speed of the game or get the ball moving a little bit more. You’re there and you have the first — for me I have the whole first quarter or whatever it is seven or eight minutes — to really watch and dissect what the other team is doing and what we’re doing as well on offense and defense. Just trying to come in and impact the game any way I can.”
Kolek and the Knicks will face the Miami Heat Sunday night in South Florida.