As has been analyzed ad nauseam since Isaiah Hartstein left for Oklahoma City, the glaring hole in the Knicks' starting rotation is the backup center.
That, along with Precious Achiuwa's ongoing free agency, remains a question.
But Leon Rose's architecture has another minor flaw.
Backup point guard.
This is a minor role, assuming Jalen Brunson remains healthy.
And in theory, the Knicks could cover that with Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo.
But the Knicks may need another ball-handler/facilitator, even if just for insurance.
As scouts have noted from the start, McBride is more of a two-guard with a point guard build.
As one longtime talent evaluator put it, he's “a safe passer, not a playmaker.”
DiVincenzo is also more comfortable without the ball.
The lack of a backup for Brunson became an issue in the playoffs, and with playmaking becoming an area of weakness, the Knicks turned to Alec Burks for more minutes in hopes of giving them some hope.
Burks signed with the Heat for the veteran's minimum of $3.3 million and then left the team.
Perhaps the return of occasional point forward Julius Randle or the addition of Mikal Bridges, a skilled creator off the dribble, will make up for any issues the Knicks have with Brunson on the bench.
Still, that potential area of need will be a storyline in Summer League given that Tyler Korec and Rocus Yokubaitis are two of the Knicks' mainstays.
Both players appeared in the Knicks' Las Vegas Summer League debut on Saturday, a 94-90 loss to the Hornets, which had some good and bad moments but also some promising moments, especially for Kolek.
The No. 34 pick in last month's draft who signed a four-year contract worth more than $9 million, started in place of Jokuvaitis and led the Knicks in assists with seven and rebounds with seven on Saturday.
He is a good commander of the court and, even though he struggled with his shooting (just 2 of 6), he ran the offense well.
The 23-year-old point guard is rated as a more immediate contributor than most of the other players selected in the 2024 draft.
He may have been the team's best player in the first half, but he became more passive as the Knicks turned to Duane Washington Jr. (26 points) for the offense.
Meanwhile, Jokuvaitis played just 14 minutes off the bench and finished with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting.
during an NBA Summer League game on Saturday. NBAE via Getty Images
The 23-year-old Lithuanian is at a crossroads in his career, having returned to his summer league team after a two-year hiatus.
Jokuvaitis was drafted 34th overall by the Knicks in 2021 and went on to slink overseas, where he found success with Barcelona and won the EuroLeague Rising Star award.
However, BasketNews reported on Friday that Barcelona's backcourt has become too small and Jokuvaitis is “expected” to leave the Spanish outfit next season for Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas.
Summer league will be Jokuvaitis' chance to impress the Knicks coaching staff that they should keep him.
He didn't get much of a chance Saturday in Las Vegas.
Korek took up most of the time.
There are fewer options in free agency.
For example, Kyle Lowry just re-signed with the rival Sixers.
The remaining free agents who fit the definition of a backup point guard include Dennis Smith Jr., Patrick Beverley, Devonte Graham and Cam Payne.
Perhaps a spot on a summer league roster would be a better option.
I made a brief appearance on Saturday.
Pacome Dadiet, the Knicks' first-round draft pick last month, looked underwhelmed, missing six of seven shots in 26 minutes. At just 18 years old, he hit two airballs in the first half and lived up to the expectations of being a long-term project.
One draft pick who was unavailable Saturday was Kevin McCullar Jr., who did not travel to Las Vegas because he is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered during his season at Kansas.
McCullar, who was selected 56th overall last month after suffering what was reported at the time as a “bone bruise,” missed the entire NCAA Tournament and hasn't played in more than four months.
