Jalen Brunson raves about Knicks’ backup Tyler Kolek: ‘He’s gonna have a long career’

NEW YORK — It hasn’t taken Tyler Kolek long to make an impression on his captain and his coach.
The first-year point guard out of Marquette has gained the immediate trust of Knicks’ captain Jalen Brunson and head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Kolek played 16 minutes off the bench in the Knicks’ 116-94 destruction of the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night, notching a career-high 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. He was 2-of-4 from deep.
“I mean, I talk to Tyler every day,” Brunson said in response to a question from NJ Advance Media. “I love Tyler. And then just watching him work hard every single chance he gets is something that gets me excited about his future. As a teammate, off the court, on the court, he’s the hardest worker, and he’s gonna have a long career.”
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The Knicks nabbed Kolek, the former Big East Player of the Year, with the 34th pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, and it may turn out to be one of the steals of the draft. Kolek, of course, is no stranger to playing at the Garden after playing in the Big East.
The gritty, hard-nosed guard has bought into Thibodeau’s system and immediately gained his trust as a backup to another Big East product in Villanova’s Brunson.
“Each day he gets better,” the coach said. “He’s got a great feel for the game and he’s a worker. He’s learning the league and he’ll get better and better understanding what’s happening with the defenses and also as he becomes more familiar with the people that he’s guarding and the teams. I think each time out, you can see his confidence growing.
“We have a lot of confidence in him, and I see it every day. And usually it starts in practice. When you practice well, you usually play well.”
Former Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier also sung Kolek’s praises, lauding his aggressive style and calling him a “precious neophyte” to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“Tyler is a real team player, a pass-first guard that I really like,” Frazier said. ” And he has a great mentor in Jalen Brunson.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.