The Strickland 2024 Knicks Summer League Roundtable
What happens in Vegas hopefully doesn’t stay in Vegas, but translates to New York’s 2024-25 campaign
As there’s been no unprecedented, historic news concerning the Knicks and their best player anytime in the past 12 hours or so, let’s get a sense of the vibes and agendas around this year’s Summer League Knicks in Las Vegas with your favorite egalitarian’s roundtable: The Strickland Summer League Roundtable.
Which player are you looking forward to watching the most, and why?
Prez: Rokas “The prince who was promised” Jokubaitis, OBVIOUSLY. I don’t doubt his skills, but the question I do have is whether he’ll actually hunt for his shot or be passive, especially compared to the similarly-aged Tyler Kolek.
Alex: Jokubaitis’ last Summer League looked ROUGH at first and he was just starting to figure things out before he shipped back to Europe. Since then he's won the EuroLeague Rising Star award and become a key player for Barcelona, a Euro powerhouse. So like Prez said, hopefully he’s ready to take the wheel and show off what he's learned.
Max: I’ll be contrarian and say Pacôme Dadiet. Unlike some other folks here, I’m not incredibly well-versed on Basketball Bundesliga, so I have no real clue what to expect from him other than the clips I’ve seen on X. Excited to see him in action.
Zach: I’ll go with a deep cut: Justin Lewis. You may not have heard of him, but he’s a 6-foot-9 wing from Marquette who went undrafted in 2022, signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls and tore his ACL in a workout that August. Since the injury, he’s bounced around the G League with the Bulls and Utah Jazz and had a short stop with the Calgary Surge of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. On paper he’s a do-it-all wing with a great frame who can put the ball on the floor, nail an open three and defend multiple positions. Lewis just needs to heal up and put it all together and he’s an archetype every NBA team could use. He was also teammates with our guy Kolek at Marquette!
Desmond: I gotta go with Kolek. The guy was an absolute dog at Marquette and the Summer League is going to be a great chance for him to show off his game. I think he has a decent chance to be in the rotation, this season given his college and experience and playstyle.
Rank the players in order of most- to least-likely to be Summer League MVP & make the argument for the GOAT atop your list: Pacôme Dadiet, Rokas Jokubaitis, Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Duane Washington Jr., Jacob Toppin.
Alex: Dadiet, Kolek, Hukporti, Jokubaitis, Toppin, Washington Jr. Pacôme is in that lucky spot, being 18 and a late draft pick, where if he gets force-fed lots of shots and scores 20 a game on 35% shooting, he'll captivate the fans and media. Call it the Kevin Knox Effect.
Max: Rokas, Toppin, Washington Jr., Dadiet, Hukporti, Kolek. I think SL feels easier when you’ve been there before. Jokubaitis has so much professional experience at this point that anyone else being at the top of the list would feel like a disappointing showing for him.
Zach: Toppin, Washington Jr., Kolek, Rokas, Dadiet, Hukporti. I’m taking the easy way out and going with the guy with the most NBA experience. Local lad JT has put up serious numbers in the G League before and he’s extremely capable of doing it in SL. I have Washington Jr. second for the same reason.
Desmond: Kolek, Rokas, Washington Jr., Diadet, Toppin, Hukporti. I think if Kolek starts off hot and gets confident early on he’s going to be unstoppable (I’m slightly delusional). In all seriousness, he’s a very good all-around guard who has enough college experience to outperform his younger counterparts.
Which lefty point guard ends up higher on Thibs’ pecking order after SL: Rokas or Kolek?
Alex: Considering Kolek has already signed the largest second-round contract of all time and Jokubaitis is being left in limbo despite being VERY vocal about wanting to be in the NBA this year, Kolek.
Max: My money is on Kolek initially, even if Rokas comes over. He puts pressure on the rim and is far more active defensively. Stop me if you know a coach who likes that in his players.
Zach: I think Kolek’s experience under the bright lights of the Big East will translate well to SL and be easier for Thibs to digest than Rokas’ play overseas. From my armchair scouting, it also seems like Kolek is likely to impress Thibs without the ball in his hands with his hard-nosed defense and vocal leadership.
Desmond: I hate to sound like a sheep, but Kolek for sure. The guy just screams “Tom Thibodeau in a guard.” The Knicks also must believe in him, considering the contract they signed him to. All signs point to Demon Kolek being a real player early on.
Who is the realest hooper on the SL squad?
Prez: Pac Daddy.
Alex: Kolek.
Max: Kolek. The dude exudes aura.
Miranda: Descartes would say thinking you're a hooper makes you one, so whoever's the most confident. Feel like that's Dadiet.
Zach: Kolek, for the same reason Miranda just said, but I think Kolek is the real irrational confidence guy. Not Pacôme (yet).
Desmond: Think I’m gonna have to go with Pac Daddy, like Prez said.
What opposing player are you most looking forward to the SL Knicks victimizing & why?
Alex: Watching Pacôme eviscerate top pick Zaccharie Risacher would be pretty sick.
Miranda: There’s a dude on Charlotte named Leaky Black who probably heard all kinds of insults growing up. I hope they leave him alone.
Zach: Kevin Knox would’ve been the easy pick if the schedule gods blessed us with a Warriors matchup, but they didn’t, so I’m going with Sacramento’s Keon Ellis. If that name rings a bell, it’s because Ellis is the guy Jalen Brunson FRIED with a look-away dribble drive to win the game in Sacramento last season. Despite embarrassing himself that night, Ellis got a ton of experience last year and emerged as a legit rotation piece for the Kings. There’s no reason for him to be playing in Summer League, so I hope the Knicks PUNISH HIM!
Desmond: I am a big believer in the Nets’ Dariq Whitehead. He wasn’t able to stay healthy in college or his rookie season, but if he can he can be a real player for Brooklyn. Hopefully he showcases that in the Summer League (just not against the Knicks).
Which opposing player is most likely to be overly hyped by their fanbase?
Prez: Stephon Castle. Spurs fans think their shit don’t stink.
Alex: If Dalton Knecht has a good SL, Lakers fans will be raising banners. Good luck to them with that.
Max: I want to give an honorable mention shoutout to Kel’el Ware in Miami. I’ve already seen Heat fans saying “He gives us the flexibility to play Bam at the 4 for 10-15 minutes a night.” Must be the 10-15 minutes fans are still trickling into the Kesaya Center (Ed. note: Gotta be the most absurd arena name in the NBA). The real answer is Zach Edey in Memphis. I’ve recently had some run-ins with Grizzlies fans and they are far more delusional than I realized. If Edey plays well, they’ll start slotting themselves into contender status.
Miranda: Literally any Net who does anything good. Soon as one scores 20 their fans will gush he’s cheaper and better than Mikal Bridges.
Zach: Everyone on the Thunder. It happens every year.
Desmond: Tidjane Salaün, I laughed my ass off when the Hornets made that pick. I’ve heard way too many people throw Giannis comparisons at the kid when I genuinely think there’s a chance he’s straight-up a bad NBA player. He has the benefit of being extremely young and does have potential, don’t get me wrong — but a lot of the traits I’ve seen people mention with him have been extremely overhyped. I say it takes one cool dunk before we have people losing their minds over him.
In honor of #11 Jalen Brunson’s precision craftsmanship, in exactly 11 syllables share what you’d rather be doing than thinking about Summer League.
Alex: Most years, many things. But not with young Knicks here.
Max: Committing war crimes on FanSpo’s trade machine.
Prez: Are you very stupid? Summer League is best, duh!
(Ed. Note: That's 12 syllables.)
Miranda: Literally anything under the sun.
Zach: Nothing. Overreacting is my favorite.
Desmond: Watching Iman Shumpert highlights with my dad.
