Metropolitan sports fans may not like it, particularly when it comes to the blue contingent on the gridiron, but the New York Knicks’ fall fortunes may depend on an Eagle.

A 4-5 record in the NBA is nowhere near the catastrophe it is in the NFL, but each effort by the Knicks pushes the franchise closer to a disturbing new normal if planned emergencies don’t come to pass.

With its most recent presentation being a 132-121 loss to the Indiana PacersNew York looked maddeningly mediocre in a difficult week. While other fading East contenders have grabbed the negative headlines, the Knicks have lost three of four after overcoming a brutal early stretch that saw them face each of their conference semifinal brethren last spring.

The really frustrating thing about the Knicks’ early problems is that none of them can be fixed instantly and the solutions depend largely on patience and guesswork: Precious Achiuwa, Cameron Payne and Mitchell Robinson will eventually return. A team that has just four players from its 2023 opening night roster is more than capable of generating chemistry.

Other ideas are looking the Knicks in the face, but avoiding eye contact, even if Tyler Kolek It has been impossible to ignore it.

Kolek was one of the most intriguing picks of the newly installed second day of the NBA draft last June: New York moves up a few floors in the draft elevator to obtain his services, which were good enough to earn a plethora of individual honors at the Big East level during his time at Marquette.

Undersized and hampered by an oblique injury, it was clear that Kolek was a project pick, one more likely destined to make an impact with the Westchester Knicks than Manhattan. Kolek’s selectionHowever, it was an intriguing change in draft focus for the Knicks.

It was a luxury pick, one in which the Knicks embraced the idea of ​​getting the so-called best player available rather than filling any pressing need. Kolek’s arrival was a reward of sorts after the Knicks hosted previous draft picks as spectators and trades. Of course, there was the understanding that Kolek was always going to be a project pick, but he was someone who fit the Knicks’ needs both now and down the road.

So why don’t the Knicks trust Kolek now?

Kolek has responded more or less well to the limited challenges the Knicks have offered him so far: He’s shooting over 69 percent from the field, has posted an offensive rating of 135 and is averaging around 30 points per game per 100 possessions. Most of that work was in cleanup duties, but Kolek has been Payne’s de facto replacement as he deals with hamstring issues.

However, there’s a reluctance to use Kolek that’s plaguing the Knicks from the start: He had 16 minutes in Friday’s win over Milwaukee, but that was followed by a two-minute performance in the aforementioned loss to the Pacers. . The Knicks played with eight men total in Sunday’s loss: Indiana, on the other hand, played with nine men with at least minutes…and that was with veteran stars like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin out.

No one said Kolek was going to be an instant fixture in the Knicks’ rotation, and it’s totally fair to push him back into student mode once New York gets its full contingent back. Kolek has made it clear that he is willing to accept such an assignment, knowing that a year watching Jalen Brunson could outweigh the nights in White Plains.

For now, though, the Knicks need Kolek on the court and should welcome him. An instant test would prove beneficial to what the Knicks are trying to build and help them get closer to a relatively monumental goal.

New York is already losing ground in the premature race for first place in the Eastern Conference standings. It certainly helps that everyone beyond Cleveland and Boston is aggressively mediocre early on, but the Knicks would have been wise to improve their position in the East.

Despite last season’s second place finish, few, if any, believed they posed a formidable challenge to the eventual Beantown champions after finishing 14 games behind them. Yes, the NBA season is a long marathon, but a team like the modern Knicks needs to rack up as many wins as possible if it plans to make any big statements in the NBA newsletter.

With that in mind, the Knicks opted for a new-familiar tactic: The “Nova Knicks” arc was partially abandoned and they also attempted to accumulate former Phoenix Suns such as Payne, Mikal Bridges, Marcus Morris and Landry Shamet. The trade for Karl-Anthony Towns shook things up as the Knicks attempted to solely take advantage of star power. Towns has responded to the challenges presented himself, but the leftovers have to step forward. Kolek has done it from the beginning and it’s about time he gets rewarded for it.

That aside, why not embrace relative and productive unpredictability like Kolek’s?

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