Something is brewing in New York, but it hardly smells good. The Knicks couldn’t wrap up their five-game road trip on a high. They played a hard-fought game against a solid Golden State team on Saturday but could not grab a win on the road. The game was so intense that it not only sparked tensions between the two teams but also led to a heated exchange between the Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau and superstar Josh Hart. A video of the two seemingly shouting at each other has taken over the internet. Perhaps this might be the frustration of their unsuccessful road trip that saw them lose three games and win just two.

Moreover, out of those two, one came in overtime against an out-of-form Portland team. While both Hart and his coach Thibodeau downplayed the rumors of any bad blood between them, this isn’t a great look for New York. Especially when they are without superstar guard Jalen Brunson. With Brunson on the sidelines, they are always going to face some adversity against quality opposition. However, Tom Thibodeau’s exchange with Hart wasn’t the only Heat he faced in the night. After their recent slump, experts are raising questions about New York making it out of the first round of playoffs, let alone winning the championship!

Well, the Knicks have held their ground pretty well this season and look firmly positioned as the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. This means New York’s potential opponents could be— Milwaukee, Detroit, or Indiana. While, on paper, the Knicks boast a better team than Detroit or Indiana and some might say, even Milwaukee. Unfortunately, the game isn’t played on the paper. Former NBA star, Lou Williams thinks similarly about Tom Thibodeau’s men. “It would be a tough matchup for the New York Knicks. I like where Detroit is going, and again, when you’re an up-and-coming team, and you’re hungry, and you have an opportunity to knock off a team that they feel like is a better team than you, you’re looking at a really, really good, young, motivated basketball team.” Williams stated on ‘Run it Back‘.

One could argue about the Pistons overcoming the Knicks in a series, however, it’s undeniable that they would give New York a tough time. The Pistons are a young team led by Cade Cunningham and aren’t afraid of playing their style of basketball. More importantly, if Brunson doesn’t make a comeback and the visible rift in the Knicks widens, who knows what’s on the cards? Meanwhile, Chandler Parsons is also not sure about New York’s ability to see off a series. He believes “they’re going to have a tough time getting out of the first round, let alone compete for our championships. No matter who they play, they’ve got to be healthy. They’ve got to be whole.” That’s bang on! The Knicks will need all of their superstars to be healthy and perform to get over the line.

Well, if they don’t, New York doesn’t have much room to make more superstar acquisitions. Even after having JB injured, they haven’t been really emphasizing developing their draft picks. This is not only necessary for immediate but long-term success as well. Their recent second-round pick— Tyler Kolek might just be the X factor with Brunson out of the picture for now.

Is Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek the solution to distribution struggles?

The Knicks will be without their franchise player for longer than expected. Moreover, they have visibly struggled without Jalen Brunson. The Knicks are 3-2 without their point guard this season, with several more tough games still to come their way. Amid this crisis at the point guard position, it isn’t a bad shout to give their second-round pick, rookie Tyler Kolek, a chance to prove himself. So far, Tom Thibodeau hasn’t given the rookie guard much runway to work with. When the Knicks managed to get Kolek on the draft night, many tipped it to be a steal. Well, that hasn’t been the case so far.

The 23-year-old has just clocked in a mere 5.1 minutes per game and has seen himself shuttle between the G League and the NBA. His game time is so limited that 47 other rookies have clocked in more minutes thank him. However, Kolek might just be a diamond in the rough. He’s produced some great performances in college and has yet to prove himself on the big stage. While Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau isn’t known for favoring rookies, Kolek has been called back from the G League squad indicating he could have a window of opportunity to prove his worth. Well, it’s clear he won’t be able to emulate Brunson’s All-Star-level performances. But, he can provide New York with a much-needed offensive boost.

Kolek isn’t the offensive threat Brunson has developed into over the years. However, what he brings to the table is his—passing. The 23-year-old rookie is good at finding spaces and making stunning passes. That’s something players like OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and others might find pretty useful. If it helps his case, Kolek has also been performing well in the G League, averaging 18.5 points and 8.9 assists. While it’s understandable that it won’t completely translate into the NBA, it’s worth a shot. Especially because it will not only help the Knicks get a short-term remedy, but they’ll have a reliable long-term option. So, we’ll have to watch closely how Tim Thibodeau uses his newest weapon.