Can the Knicks’ rookie class find room to contribute under Tom Thibodeau?

The rookie class has been putting on a show. Will Thibs adjust?

Last week, in game three of the young NBA season, the Knicks were facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Garden. The game was coming down to the wire, with Jaen Brunson and Darius Garland dueling until the final buzzer. If you were a box score watcher, you saw this with four minutes remaining in the game.

Disappointing, to say the least.

If you were the sort of fellow who prefers to watch the game, you saw this instead.

Ultimately, an offensive foul was called, but the Garden was on their feet. The Knicks may have ended up losing the game, but the momentum swing was palpable.

All thanks to key offseason acquisition… Ariel Hukporti?

If you know anything about Tom Thibodeau, you know that he prefers to run tight rotations. And that there are even fewer exceptions amongst rookies.

Per Statmuse, rookies have never averaged more than a combined 28.5 minutes per game on a Thibs team. Outside of Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin in 2020-21, and Quentin Grimes coming on late the following year, it’s been around a decade since a rookie legitimately contributed in a Tom Thibodeau rotation.

All of this to say… it’s an uphill battle. So the real shock isn’t that Ariel Hukporti dropped an absolute nuke on Evan Mobley’s head – it’s that he was on the court in the first place.

Clearly, the Knicks like what they’ve seen so far out of the 58th pick, as Hukporti’s two-way deal was just converted into a standard two year contract. But for Thibs to have enough trust to leave him in the game that late? Surprising.

Hukporti is still waiting to score his first NBA points after 29 minutes of play. Even still, he’s nipping at Jericho Sims’ heels for minutes at the backup center spot, who has been nondescript in his minutes. And if current trends hold, don’t be surprised if Hukporti eventually leaps him in the rotation.

That’s not the only rookie clamoring for playing time, either.

First round pick Pacome Dadiet got 13 minutes of run in the season opener against Boston, knocking down one of his two attempts from downtown and getting his legs underneath him. While he’s only seen nine minutes of action since, he looked strong in the preseason, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The 6’8” small forward could fill in for minutes at the wing if called upon, and he seems ready to do so.

The other rookie, Tyler Kolek, had his praises sung by Coach Thibs after the Rockets game Monday night.

“I really like [Kolek] a lot,” the coach said. “I think he’s learning like most young guys coming into the league. He’s a gym rat. Works extremely hard. Puts a lot of time into film study. Extra work. Practice. He’s around really good veterans. That helps move it along in terms of how you learn. And then a big part of it is the trial and error of getting out there and doing it. So I think he’s putting everything he has into it. So we’ll see.”

(via New York Post)

You don’t hear that about a rookie coming out of Thibs’ mouth. Ever.

With Cam Payne kept out of Monday’s game with a nagging hamstring injury, Kolek played meaningful minutes for the first time of his career. He knocked down the only shot he took. It was a three.

Kolek was touted as an NBA-ready guard, and he absolutely dazzled in both Summer League and preseason minutes with his shot-creating ability. The man can run an offense.

With Payne questionable to go tonight against Atlanta, Kolek may have another opportunity to play his way into more meaningful minutes (and subsequently an expanded rotation role). Thibs might not like it. But if the rookies keep showing flashes the way they are, he might not even have a choice.