New York Knicks rookie impresses in debut

New York Knicks point guard Tyler Kolek made his preseason debut for the team after being selected 34th overall in June's NBA draft.

Kolek played 14 minutes in the Knicks' 111-109 win over the Charlotte Hornets, where he was 3 of 5 from long range and scored 11 points. He also added two steals and a block to the box score, demonstrating some development on defense.

Kolek's debut impressed coach Tom Thibodeau and he shared that sentiment in the postgame press conference.

“I thought he gave us good minutes,” Thibodeau said of Kolek. “I think our bank has also done a lot of good things. They need some time together, so we made the most of that in the second half.”

Kolek was the only member of the Knicks' rookie class to see action in the preseason opener against the Hornets. Kevin McCullar, Ariel Hukporti and first-round pick Pacome Dadiet didn't play, again showing how important the Knicks view Kolek and that they don't see him on quite the same path as the other first-year players.

Kolek may not get that number of minutes at the start of the regular season, so it's important that he takes advantage of the playing time he has now as the Knicks build and grow in training camp and preseason.

His first outing was definitely promising, and his 3-point ability is certainly something that could be used at some point during the year. Thibodeau likely won't throw Kolek out too often in his rookie season, but if the Knicks are hampered by injuries, it's important that the Marquette point guard has some experience to fall back on.

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