The New York Knicks will kick off their summer league in a matchup with the Detroit Pistons. All 30 teams have officially arrived in Las Vegas and are set for nonstop basketball action across the next week and a half. This is a valuable opportunity for each of the league’s next generation of talent to prove what they can do and work to cement a spot in the league. Plenty of players are there to prove they more than belong, while others are actively working to earn some sort of contract.
Looking at the 6:00 p.m. ET matchup between these two teams, the Pistons enter as two-point favorites and -130 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. New York holds +110 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 174.5
Knicks vs. Pistons Breakdown:
The Las Vegas Summer League is off to the races, with every team viewing it with slightly different priorities. For some, this off-season competition is a full-scale tryout for their next wave of talent and the remaining available roster spots. For others, this is a chance to give their young talent under contract a chance to continue developing and showing what they can do. Some teams coach with a clear intention to win, and rotations mirror as such, while others prioritize development opportunities and keeping the rotations deep.
The New York Knicks are coming off their most successful season in 25 years and have an exciting summer league roster. Last year’s 25th overall pick, Pacome Dadiet, will headline the roster after seeing limited opportunities in his rookie season. Kevin McCuller, who was selected with the 56th overall pick in last year’s draft, also saw very few opportunities with injuries derailing his rookie year. Tyler Kolek had a few more positive flashes after being selected with the 34th overall pick last year and will return for his second summer league. Expect Kolek to be tasked with running the Knicks’ offense.
New York selected Mohamed Diawara in the second round of this year’s draft, but the expectation is that the Frenchman will be a draft-and-stash candidate, and he is not listed on the summer league roster. The Knicks did sign Dink Pate through the undrafted free agent market, who has an interesting skill set and background. With high-level athleticism and a 6-foot-8 frame, he is a player who could pop in this type of basketball setting. MarJon Beauchamp also enters with far more experience than most would expect on a summer league roster. Beauchamp was initially selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 24th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He spent the first full two seasons of his career with Milwaukee before splitting time between the Bucks, Clippers, and Knicks last year. The clock is starting to tick on Beauchamp’s future, but the summer league is a great chance to cement why he still belongs in the league. Anton Watson will also be a name to keep an eye on after a five-year standout career at Gonzaga before having some ups and down in the G League last year.
The Detroit Pistons took a huge stride forward last season, which included making the playoffs before being eliminated by the Knicks. They will be looking to build off this and added Chaz Lanier with the 37th pick, who will see plenty of opportunities in the summer league. The Tennessee product has a chance to cement a clear role for himself on the main NBA team with a similar skillset to Malik Beasley, who is no longer a part of Detroit’s future plans. The 23-year-old averaged 18.0 points per game last year while shooting 39.5% on 8.2 three-point attempts per game. His fellow Tennessee backcourt mate, Zakai Zeigler, will also be on the Pistons’ summer league roster.
Ron Holland will return for his second NBA summer league after being selected with the fifth overall pick last year. Holland will not back down to anyone on the floor and brings a toughness that fits the Pistons’ identity. But he still needs to clean up his shooting efficiency and decision-making. Detroit also selected Bobi Klintman with the 37th pick in last year’s NBA Draft. The Wake Forest product did not carve out a niche for himself last year, but will be looking to prove why he is ready to be relied on in this setting. Trevor Keels will be looking for revenge on the team that selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft as they face the Knicks tonight. Keels has struggled to carve an NBA path for himself and spent last year playing overseas, so he needs a strong performance. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will also have a chance to watch his nephew, T.J. Bickerstaff, on the floor after averaging 13.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last year at James Madison. Tolu Smith suited up for just one game for the Pistons last year, but dropped 14 points and eight rebounds in just 22 minutes and will look to build off this.
Knicks vs. Pistons Pick: Detroit ML (-130)
Ron Holland should be the best player on the floor in this matchup, and that pushes me in the direction of the Pistons. Beyond just his raw skillset, he sets the tone whenever he is on the floor and expect this to carry into the summer league setting. Chaz Lanier is an NBA-ready rookie, and he will find comfort sharing the floor with Ziegler the same way they did at Tennessee. Klintman also has more to his game than he has fully been able to put on display, and will look to capitalize on this setting to help cement a rotation spot. He will also benefit from the loss of Beasley and look to latch onto the minutes now available.
New York has a respectable squad, and Tyler Kolek could take control of the game if he plays to his peak. But there are too many concerns with the Knicks’ lack of shooting and players who have shown their flaws. There will be some growing pains with this group learning how to play together, and I have my eye on this Knicks’ roster as a team in which each player is determined to showcase what they can do in a way that does not translate to team success.
There is more familiarity on this Pistons roster, and I am backing them to get the outright victory over the Knicks in the summer league opener for both sides. Expect Holland to lead the charge and for Detroit to come out with a chip on their shoulder against the same franchise that ended their season.
