Some guys like efficient, productive players. Some guys prefer a sparkle in a player's eye over performance.

WTF

Well for us old Scrooges that don't have a subscription to the Athletic Bah Humbug!

It's actually sad. A sad reminder of those days when we took transfers.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6901967/2025/12/19/knicks-pacers-tyler-kolek-jalen-brunson/?source=user_shared_article

Jalen Brunson, despite all of his individual glory of late, is using his platform to introduce Tyler Kolek.

"Can I say something before I answer your question?" Brunson, the NBA Cup finals MVP, asked a national television reporter after the New York Knicks' championship in Las Vegas earlier this week. "OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson ... they played their asses off tonight. Without them, we don't win this s—."

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It didn't stop there.

"I want to thank the Lord for Tyler Kolek," Brunson said on TV after his game-winning 3 in Indianapolis on Thursday night, a game in which he admittedly didn't play well. "Playing the way he's playing, saving me."


Kolek is the Knick who sticks out from the rest when you're watching New York. He's barely 6 feet tall with floppy hair. He's the only White guy on the roster. He was a second-round pick last season after a collegiate career that started at George Mason and ended at Marquette. He was accused of not being able to read by goofy college kids. Kolek can read.

He can also impact winning, as made evident over New York's last two games. Kolek's 20 minutes in the NBA Cup final were a huge difference in the Knicks winning their first "championship" since 1973. He had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, which would have been a career-best performance if those stats actually counted. No big deal, though. Kolek followed that up with a 16-point, 11-assist performance in 26 minutes in a comeback victory for New York against the Indiana Pacers.

That's why you've heard his name lately.

"The opportunity is there for him, so to see him take advantage of it is huge," coach Mike Brown said. "Only he can do that."

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Kolek's career to date has been a lot of him finding his way, searching for opportunities. As a rookie, he really only played significant minutes when Brunson missed a month with an ankle injury. Even this season, significant playing time hasn't been guaranteed, though he's been in the rotation more often than not.

His greatest skill is as a passer. He's a table-setter, if you will. Kolek can run an offense. He can also get into the paint despite being the smallest guy on the court and not the most athletic.


What has really helped him of late, though, is his shooting. Kolek was a solid 3-point shooter in college but hasn't been able to find his shooting stroke in the pros. However, in eight games (if you include the NBA Cup final) this month, Kolek is shooting the 3-ball at a 38 percent clip. He has hit catch-and-shoot 3s and ones off the dribble. Kolek drilled a 3 in Victor Wembanyama's face during the NBA Cup championship and let him hear about it with a point to the face.

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Kolek works religiously with Knicks shooting coach Peter Patton. His teammates and coaches say he's a gym rat. They're not surprised he's having a moment.

"He works tremendously hard," Brunson said. "When it comes to situations like this, he stays ready. It's a credit to his mindset. When he gets the opportunity, his number is called, he's ready to go. He's been producing these last few games. I have the utmost respect for him and how he's grown as a player."

There's definitely a confidence about Kolek. He's not afraid to express himself. He doesn't mind talking trash.

That belief, that bark that pokes out here and there on television, is rooted in what goes on when no one is watching.

"The work always pays off," Kolek said. "It's undefeated. You're going to get out what you put in. I firmly believe that."

After his first full season in the NBA, Kolek said he took a slightly different approach to his second NBA offseason. He did less work on the court. Kolek said that in college, he overworked his body just to be able to have a chance to live out his dream. He was always in the gym with a basketball and anxiety.

"I didn't miss a night," Kolek said. "I know a lot of guys say that, but I did not miss a night. I had this anxiety or fear over me that if I wasn't in the gym, I wouldn't do well in the next game or this or that."

Kolek said he'd work out 45 minutes before college practices, which are more rigorous than NBA ones. He'd do spot-shots after. Kolek said he'd leave for a few hours and then be back at the gym by 8:30 p.m. He attempted to maximize his talents every single day and, in turn, put immense physical and mental pressure on himself.

Kolek wanted to switch up his approach as he entered his second year in the NBA.

"I changed up that philosophy," he said. "I wanted to work smarter. I was killing my body. I was never fresh. I was never feeling my best. Coming into the summer, I wanted to feel my best in order to go harder on the floor, go harder in the weight room.

"Less is more sometimes."

Kolek is having a moment, but he's banking on this becoming the norm. He dictates whether more opportunities will come his way by continuing to stack good games.

Kolek is benefiting from more opportunities. And, well, the Knicks are benefiting from more Kolek.

Quote from: BCHoopster on December 18, 2025, 08:04:19 PMSeriously this is a blog on MU, not Wnglish 101, do I care no!

*english

Quote from: Hards Alumni on December 18, 2025, 06:33:03 AMYou're thoughts are wrong headed and frankly, they're grotesque.

And you think Viper is stupid?

Tower there was a reason CH took the MU offer, because it was the only one he got. MU under Shaka has had 4 good years of quality play, has the resources, so to recruit 2 bigs with no stars tells me Shaka maybe is not a good recruiter which is surprising. He is really a smart person, love listening to him, but even there he is getting old.  Not a realist.
Better turn it around next year, as changes have to be made. Stated Tre was his highest rated player recruited, he needs to go. Zaide, even the assistants where not sure about him, Shaka wanted him??

Quote from: dgies9156 on December 19, 2025, 01:31:51 PMOne of the ways I prefer to look at this year's roster is, given the train wreck we have, who do you build around for the future? The expectation is, who should be keepers, jury is still out and "thanks but no thanks..."

Excluding the seniors, red shirts and incoming freshmen, here is how I see things:

Build Around:
Nigel James
Adrien Stevens

Jury is Still Out:
Royce Parham
Damarius Owens
Michael Phillips
Josh Clark

Thanks but No Thanks:
Caedin Hamilton
Zaide Lowrey
Tre Norman
Sean Jones

The "Thanks but No Thanks" group is where the Portal will come from. This will take the same effort Coach Shaka showed his first year. I'm probably too harsh on maybe Zaide and Sean and God knows, maybe they'll come around. I'm not hopeful and Coach needs to be VERY up-front with each of these guys and find them landing spots.

The reality is that accountability sometimes can be a vicious, ugly mistress but it's necessary. Shaka's accountability is to the 16,000 people who show up for the games and the thousands of alumni and fans following the team. If he doesn't act, they will!

So does everyone agree with this assessment? How would you change it?

That's where I'm at. Think at least 3 of 'the thanks but no thanks' crew should be replaced - Jones is the one I think that maybe could stay as a backup (I would have said Zaide even a week ago). But I'd still hope for a 1 in the portal.

Incoming: Pearson, Miletic, Egbuono, Johnston, Nash. Shaka's recent track recent w/ redshirts has been uninspiring to say the least. Hopeful this time it works out. Everyone talking about Alex's size. Let's wait and see how he acclimates. Johnston seems like a project and all I know about Nash is supposedly he's a good shooter with some size.

If Clark is not better then Hamilton, he must be really bad, maybe in 3 years he can help, next year I doubt it.

Quote from: JWags85 on December 19, 2025, 03:44:35 PMAnd in the heels of TKO's breakout, not the NBA, but Markus is unconscious against Barcelona in a big Euroleague match up.  11/11 for 28 points and forced OT with this

https://x.com/euroleague/status/2002130624547860716?s=46

Not bad for a 17-year-old