Tyler Kolek hit a snag Friday night.
After being a high roller with a breakout performance in the NBA Cup final and then posting 16 points and 11 assists in a win in Indiana Thursday, Kolek stumbled against the 76ers, finishing with just two points, two rebounds, two assists and four turnovers.
That performance was a reminder that as exciting as the past two games had been for Kolek, the second-year guard is still a work in progress.
“Everybody’s gonna have their on days or off days, but you know, can you make your ‘C’ day a ‘B’ day? Can you make your ‘D’ day, ‘C’ day?” Kolek said. “So just kind of trying to be consistent no matter what.”
That’s the next step in Kolek’s development.
He has to find ways to be a high-level contributor every time he steps on the floor.
It helps that he’s playing behind a perennial All-Star in Jalen Brunson. In fact, Kolek has plenty of shades of Brunson in the way he approaches the game.
Kolek said the biggest lessons he’s learned from being around Brunson are his intentionality when it comes to reviewing film and putting in the work to get better.
“It’s been special,” Kolek said. “He’s kind of taken me under his wing. I’ve been able to watch him work out. … Just trying to pick up little tendencies from him, anything I can.”
Mike Brown has also helped groom the 2024 second-round pick.
Brown’s biggest message to Kolek?
“Give 110 percent effort,” Kolek said.
“We want to be a championship team and everybody has to give maximum effort all the time,” Kolek continued. “So I applaud him for how he challenges us and pushes us to get better.”
The Knicks are in the midst of a grueling stretch where they’re playing 14 games in 24 days. Sunday’s game against the Heat is their third game in four days.
It’s a long season, and Josh Hart said sometimes it’s OK to “give yourself grace” during the tough stretches.
“It’s an up-and-down season, [you have] games like [Friday], games where you feel like you can’t find it, you know, when the game’s right there,” Hart said. “And it’s just one extra effort play and if you’re like you can’t get that extra effort play in, so it happens, long season.”
But Brunson offered a different perspective and took responsibility for the Knicks coming up short against the Sixers.
“You got to hold each other to a higher standard. I gotta hold myself to a higher standard,” Brunson said. “[Friday’s game] was very winnable, but you got to give them credit, they made plays down the stretch, we didn’t.”
