For two of the younger Knicks, Wednesday night’s season opener presented an opportunity.
Ariel Hukporti, 23, started at center, stepping in for Mitchell Robinson as the latter sat out for injury management on his surgically repaired left ankle.
Tyler Kolek, 24, played meaningful minutes at backup point guard, filling a role vacated by Malcolm Brogdon’s sudden retirement last week.
And both contributed to the Knicks’ 119-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.
“I thought both guys came in and tried to do what they’re capable of doing,” head coach Mike Brown said afterward. “We don’t need anybody to come in and play hero ball or anything like that. Play to your strengths, and both of those guys, they can do some things out on the floor.”
Hukporti and Kolek, both second-round picks in 2024, didn’t play much as rookies, but they found themselves in the 11-man rotation that Brown deployed on Wednesday night.
The 7-foot Hukporti played 18 minutes and finished with two points, five rebounds, two assists and a block.
One of Hukporti’s assists came on a quick-decision pass over the outstretched arms of Evan Mobley that set up a Karl-Anthony Towns dunk, while his block was against Jarrett Allen in transition.
“It’s a great opportunity to show what I can do,” Hukporti said.
Kolek, meanwhile, scored seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and added two assists over 14 minutes.
The Marquette alum filled in for Brunson for six minutes in the second quarter, three minutes in the third, and even the first 4 ½ minutes of the fourth.
“He’s savvy with the basketball,” Brown said of Kolek. “He gets in the paint, makes plays for himself, makes plays for others. He’s got to stick his nose in defensively, which he did tonight.”
Brown acknowledged he might not roll with an 11-man rotation every game, but given the makeup of the Knicks’ roster, there should be more opportunities for Hukporti and Kolek ahead.
The Knicks are expected to remain cautious with Robinson, who appeared in only 17 regular-season games last year after undergoing ankle surgeries in December 2023 and May 2024. Even when Robinson returns, the Knicks are likely to manage his minutes.
Fellow 7-footer Towns played Wednesday through what he described as a Grade 2 quad strain.
“Ariel, he’s a great runner,” Brown said. “He’s got great feet. He can rebound. He played the pick and roll very well and brings energy.”
Kolek, meanwhile, is part of a crowded backcourt that also includes Miles “Deuce” McBride, Jordan Clarkson and Josh Hart, who missed Wednesday’s game with lumbar spasms.
McBride is part of the backup point guard mix, too, but the combo guard is a weapon when he plays off the ball. McBride led the Knicks’ bench unit with 15 points in 26 minutes and finished the game alongside Brunson.
“We’re in good hands. Great hands,” Brunson said last week after Brogdon’s retirement.
“[Kolek has] been getting better every day. Deuce has been getting better every day. Those guys, they come in and they work on their game nonstop. When you see that, you have the utmost confidence that when their number’s called, they’re going to be ready to go.”
Brown, in his first season as Knicks head coach, is still experimenting with his rotation, and his lineups will look different with Robinson and Hart.
But the coach came away encouraged by what he saw from Hukporti and Kolek in the opener.
“If both guys stay within the framework of what they’re capable of doing, they’re gonna give us great minutes over the course of the year,” Brown said.
