Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek was named the G League exhibition MVP as he helped Westchester secure their second consecutive Winter title with a victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Sunday night.
Kolek was impressed just hours after traveling from the big league game in New Orleans on Friday night.
The junior came off the bench for Westchester and finished with 22 points on an impressive 9-of-16 shooting from the field while dishing out a game-high 11 assists, hauling in five rebounds, and grabbing three steals. over 21 minutes.
“It’s like when you have a group project and you join at the last minute and get an A,” he said said on ESPN postgame. “Shout out to my teammates, they’ve been a blast all year. I love playing with them, it’s like family down there, so it’s fun.”
The Knicks received widespread praise after selecting Kolek out of Marquette with their second round pick in this year’s draft.
After shining during Summer League play, the 23-year-old earned himself a spot coming off the bench for the pro team during the early part of the season, and was impressive despite averaging just 6.6 minutes.
Because of his limited role, New York has been bouncing Kolek back and forth between Westchester and the NBA roster over the past two weeks to help keep him fresh, and Sunday’s performance was another positive step in his development.
It will be interesting to see if the front office decides to keep him in the G League for the season with the veteran guard. Landry Shamet also registered and ready to join the group after missing three months with a shoulder injury.
