As the NBA regular season dwindles, so too does the New York Knicks’ depth at point guard.
In the wake of lower-body injuries to Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, and Cam Payne, the Knicks are currently down to their last legs at the point and needed a hero against the Bucks in Milwaukee.
They found an unlikely one in veteran Delon Wright to start the game.
Many were displeased, but not shocked, to hear that head coach Tom Thibodeau gave the starting nod to Wright over rookie Tyler Kolek, who had 29 assists to just 1 turnover in his last four games heading into the matchup. Those same people had to have been pleasantly surprised to see Wright be New York’s top performer through the first 12 minutes of action.
The Knicks could have come out flat on the road to start their third game in four nights, as they have a few times this season, and against lesser competition than the Bucks. Delon Wright didn’t let them — perhaps fueled by a vendetta against the team that traded him the month prior.
Wright, a ninth-year pro known mostly for his defense, finished the first quarter with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 4-6 FG and 2-3 3PT. His highest scoring outing since Nov. 8, 2023, and within just a fraction of a full game.
After being acquired by the Knicks from Milwaukee in exchange for Jericho Sims at the trade deadline, Wright has done what’s been expected of him in New York: not much. However, the deal seemingly first made to free up playing time for rookie Ariel Hukporti was derailed due to a torn meniscus suffered by the center soon thereafter.
Wright hasn’t seen much playing time in 34 games split between Milwaukee and New York this season, and the quietest season of his career reflects this.
In 13.9 minutes per game, he’s averaging a career-low 2.5 points while shooting 30.5% from the field and 26.8% from three, both also the lowest of his career. His 1.7 assists a night are the fewest he’s tallied since his rookie season in 2015-16.
Now, the guy who most viewed as nothing more than a matching salary in a C-list trade is being asked to play starting minutes for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, just three weeks away from the start of the postseason and with the standings still subject to shift (the Knicks currently hold a three-game lead over the Indiana Pacers for the No. 3 seed with nine games left to play).
Wright finished the game with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 30 minutes against his former team. The Knicks overcame the Bucks, 116-107.
Afterward, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate by making his first post in over five months. If a picture is worth a thousand words, I suppose a GIF is worth a statement revenge game.
The Knicks are looking to finish out the regular season strong to retain their spot as the third seed. If the current standings remain, this would result in a playoff matchup against the sixth-seeded Bucks.
Judging by the eight-year head start that Wright has on Kolek in terms of NBA experience, it’s safe to assume that Thibodeau will most likely continue using the veteran in a (limited) starting role as he awaits the return of his first three strings of point guards. Meanwhile, Kolek will continue to gain valuable NBA experience while supplying backup minutes.
