The worst factor in regards to the Knicks‘ 91-84 Summer League loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday? Watching Kevin McCullar Jr.’s near-perfect sport finish by way of an elbow to an already damage face.
McCullar performed the Knicks’ second Las Vegas Summer time League sport sporting a face masks after taking a shot to the face in Friday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons.
He went on to attain 30 factors on 10-of-15 capturing from the sphere towards the Celtics on Sunday as one among only a few vibrant spots on an underwhelming Knicks Summer time League roster earlier than exiting the sport late within the fourth quarter towards the Celtics.
“Kevin was solid,” Knicks summer season league coach Jordan Brink advised reporters on Sunday. “Got to take care of the ball a little bit better and that’s part of the learning curve for him as a primary ball handler. You see he had a mask on. He got hit in the head and then he got hit in the head again. That’s kind of how he plays. He’s a gritty player. He’s always in the mix with the physical contact. He fought through and I thought he had a pretty good game.”
McCullar completed with 13 factors, 6 rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes in New York’s Las Vegas opener on Friday then added 4 rebounds, two steals — and eight private fouls — to the docket on Sunday.
The Knicks chosen the Texas Tech-turned-Kansas standout with the 56th general choose within the 2024 NBA Draft and waited a complete season as he recovered from a knee surgical procedure liable for prematurely ending his senior season.
McCullar returned to the ground and performed within the season finale towards the Nets, the place he logged 4 factors, eight rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 22 minutes. He’s now a restricted free agent and hoping both to return to the Knicks at their remaining minimal wage slot, land in a rotation elsewhere, or rejoin the Knicks on a two-way deal.
“This is really my real rookie season,” McCullar advised reporters on Sunday. “Last year I just got to be able to get my feet wet a little bit. I love playing and I missed it for so long. Now it’s pretty much my rookie season.”
NOT INJURIES AGAIN
McCullar wasn’t the one casualty of Sunday’s loss to the Celtics.
Former No. 25-overall choose Pacome Dadiet left the sport early with what the workforce initially referred to as left foot soreness earlier than studies recognized his ailment as a toe damage.
James Nnaji, the thirty first general choose within the 2023 NBA Draft, additionally performed solely 11 minutes earlier than he was dominated out as a consequence of decrease again tightness. The Knicks acquired Nnaji as a part of the Karl-Anthony Cities-Julius Randle swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he joined New York’s Summer time League roster after spending the previous few seasons enjoying abroad.
COLD KOLEK
2024 Knicks second-round choose Tyler Kolek shot 1-of-13 from the sphere for 3 factors, 4 assists and 4 turnovers on Sunday, although he did finish the sport with a block and a steal. Kolek shot 4-of-11 within the Summer time League opener towards the Pistons with eight assists to 5 turnovers. The Knicks had been outscored by a team-high 25 factors in Kolek’s half-hour on the court docket.
