Even though he did not shine in scoring (9.6 average at 36% success in five matches), Tyler Kolek showed his passing skills in the Summer League, with 7.0 assists per game, for only 1.4 turnovers…
“I think I can really run the show, get the guys involved, but at the end of the day it's going to be about doing what the team needs.” he explains. “Whatever Jalen (Brunson) asks of me, I'm going to follow his lead. And then whatever Coach (Thibodeau) asks of me, I'm going to follow what he asks of me as well.”
The rookie from Marquette is particularly eager to learn from the former Villanova player.
Closer to Jalen Brunson than TJ McConnell?
“Just how to play in control, picking angles, going to the free throw line. That's very important. He does a really good job of going to the free throws and I really have to learn from that.” continues the 34th pick in the Draft on what he plans to take at the All-Star. “In the NBA, it's so different… We shouldn't exaggerate anything, but there are little things we can take from the veterans.”
In any case, Tyler Kolek prefers to take inspiration from Jalen Brunson rather than TJ McConnell, to whom he was often compared throughout the process leading up to the Draft. “A somewhat lazy comparison” he smiled.
“You have to say it. Okay, he plays hard every night. I have that “dog” side too, so I guess you could say it makes sense.” he lets go. “But I feel like Brunson’s game is closer to mine than TJ McConnell’s. I play at my own pace, I go in the paint, I get everybody involved. I can take stuff from his mid-range shot, in that zone where you come off screens and isolations. I’m really excited to be able to learn from him, to be able to watch him and take as much from him as I can.”
