Summer League Recap
Video + Write up on New York's Four Prospects
With only two second-round picks in the draft class, Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel, I didn't expect a powerhouse summer league roster. Still, I was eager to evaluate both rookies alongside returning prospects Mohamed Diawara and Pacome Dadiet. Interestingly, the fanbase holds sharply contrasting views on the two returnees. Diawara earned regular rotation minutes this year as a second-round rookie, while Dadiet, a former first-round selection, has struggled to crack the rotation during his two seasons with the team. And with that, here is a breakdown of one major positive and one negative for each of New York’s top summer prospects.
Mohamed Diawara
Negative: Shooting and Athleticism
Diawara played only two summer league games and struggled as a primary playmaker and handler, a role clearly outside his skillset, so the rough patches came as no surprise. Ultimately it amounted to a throwaway experience, and shouldn't factor into the broader perception of his future. Having said that, the lack of functional athleticism, along with his inconsistent shooting, can raise some concerns about his potential rotation playability. None of this comes as new information.
Positive: Driving Passing
Real upside exists in the connector-wing archetype for Diawara, playing off the catch and making decisions once near the rim. Pair that with a reliable jumper, and this skill set translates seamlessly to the big club, where he'll likely spend the bulk of his time playing off-ball. I dug into this more extensively in the Diawara piece: he currently lacks the lane creativity, strength, and athleticism to become a force on drives off the dribble, but he's built the foundation to beat the first defender and make plays for teammates. A strong shooting stroke that keeps defenders honest can go a long way toward unlocking that upside, so he still has work to do across multiple facets of his game.
Just last month I analyzed his season, so if you want to learn more about his play in detail, take a look:
Pacome Dadiet
Dadiet enters his 3rd season in the NBA without much NBA experience, because of that the front office could float him around as a potential trade candidate to clear room for one of the other rookies or a third-string center. However, his game warrants analysis, since he remains a relatively young player still improving, and summer league flashed that development.
Negative: Shooting
Dadiet's main focus for breaking into a rotation should center on his spot-up shooting, but that's always given him trouble in game reps. Rumors have circulated for the past couple years that the Knicks highly believe in his shooting ability, yet it hasn't materialized across a stretch of multiple games. I found that quite disappointing this time around, since his spot-up driving game looked well-polished throughout summer league. He showed quick first steps, long strides, and made positive decisions off the ball.
Positive: Cutting and Size
Dadiet's cutting has truly opened my eyes as he's sharpened his offensive IQ and made better use of his 6'8" frame. He talked about learning the ins-and-outs of cutting by speaking with veteran players, notably OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. He put that into action, both on scripted cuts, running certain plays with spacing principles, and cuts on his own accord. His level of feel in cutting situations matched both veteran players this summer.
I'm making a big deal about this for a reason: Dadiet's cutting will find an abundance of chances to surface in Mike Brown's offense. Take the play above, for example. It begins with a ball-screen and flows into a slash action (pop + handoff). The handler, in this case, looks to reverse the basketball into the motion system, which runs heavily through handoffs in the slot or on the sideline. When Dillon Jones (#1) goes to hand it off to Dadiet, Dadiet backdoors the defender on the overplay and finishes with a dunk. Had Jones handed it off, he could've looked to reverse back to the slot or attack the rim; had the defense denied the cut, Jones reverses back to the slot. That's how the conceptual offense works, so Dadiet will get multiple chances to make impactful plays by cutting in either corner in this type of offense.
Tyler Nickel
Nickel arrives as an established sharpshooter, and his shooting speaks for itself. He’s a threat on the perimeter every time he steps on the floor, marking a sharp contrast from the last two prospects. While we know Nickel can shoot, I wanted to zero in on what else he brings to the table, and he surprised me in various other skills, both offense and defense.
Negative: More on Offense
Nickel didn't show many glaring negatives this summer, the only real knock I can give is the offense outside of the three-point shooting, an area that can limit him offensively, including as an off-ball threat. He doesn’t possess a strong handle in traffic, and that likely keeps him from pressuring the rim along with the lack of burst. When defenders close out, he'll need to lean on his role as a connector or off the dribble shooter, both areas where I believe he can develop further than anything near the basket or in creating deep drives. Overall the three-point shooting should create enough of a floor to buoy him along-side other creators, for now.
Positive: Hard-Worker
While not athletically or laterally gifted, Nickel fights on the defensive side of the court giving solid point-of-attack reps, utilizing his 6’7” frame to contest shots near the basket, and tracking both ball and man off the ball. Nickel doesn’t lack for effort, and it fits within the mold of a championship caliber team. I still hold reservations about Nickel’s rotation viability against some of the best handlers and athletes, but his summer league showing impressed greatly.
Nickel’s motor lends the defensive upside to stay on the floor and provide elite-level spacing. That can shrinks his tradeoff dramatically. I love the Duncan Robinson comparison, because Robinson doesn't have big-time athleticism or lateral quickness either, yet this tall sharpshooter carves out a place on the floor off the ball, landing in the 99th percentile in off-ball chaser defense. He pours a lot of work into the defensive end to shrink his tradeoff, so if Nickel wants to get time on an NBA court he’s got the right idea.
Jack Kayil
I discussed and displayed video of Kayil's game the most on here. His possible upside and two-way ability make him the most intriguing prospect for New York. Kayil simply makes for a fun watch, since he’s highly active on the court, from handling to point-of-attack defense to creating for his teammates. Wherever he plays next season, I'll make sure to watch and catch you guys up on his performances.
Negative: Overzealous and Questionable Handle
No better way exists to describe Kayil's negatives, in my opinion. Whether it's shot selection, decision-making, or defensive errors, they all trace back to one root issue: an erratic eagerness to impose his will on the game. Now, does this definitively count as a bad thing? No. In fact, it shows that he’s an ultra-confident player who doesn't shy away from mistakes, and it might even drive him toward his ceiling. That said, he'll need to learn to reel it in a bit, since these aggressive decisions can compound throughout a single game. Not only that, but I have a level of concern with his handle among NBA-caliber players, as he relies heavily on his dominant hand (right) and can crumble under ball pressure.
Positive: Ball-screen Navigation + POA
Kayil shattered all my initial expectations of his point attack defense, displaying lock-down potential. He’s great at getting skinny, absorbs contact, and glues himself hip-to-hip with the ball-handler. Rather than dying on ball-screens, he utilizes his recovery tools, combining his elite positional size with lateral quickness. He’s capable of taking away the driver's angle and completely suffocating actions.