NBA Summer League is a weird funhouse mirror. Excel there (like when Kevin Knox scored 29 points against the Lakers), and a player might be declared a franchise cornerstone. Drop a stinker (as Mohamed Diawara did yesterday, with seven points on 1-of-9 shooting), and some will call the player a bust. Both are overreactions—but it is fair to admit that Mo disappointed us after signing a new 4-year, $11.2M contract this summer.
Indeed, the Knicks opened Las Vegas Summer League with a 91-65 loss to the Nets
on Friday night. New York actually competed well early, taking a slim lead after the first quarter. After halftime, the game unraveled. Brooklyn dominated the third period 30-9, turning a close contest into a runaway before cruising through the fourth to win 91-65.
Pacome Dadiet logged 20 points and seven assists for the Knicks, and rookie sharpshooter Tyler Nickel impressed, scoring 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep. Brooklyn got 20 points apiece from M. Brown, Jr. and Egor Demin.
The Knicks’ summer coach, T.J. Saint, started Jaden Akins, Dillon Jones, Pacome Dadiet, Mohamed Diawara, and Liam Robbins. Dadiet has been a fixture of the Knicks G League team and the bench at MSG since being drafted in 2024. After scrimmaging in practice against the rotational Knicks for the past two years, we expected him to fare well against these junior Nets. As for Diawara and his -39 plus-minus rating, the less said, the better. Both he and Dadiet shot 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.
The most pleasant surprise of the evening was Nickel. Coming off a standout senior season at Vanderbilt, the 6’8” wing was drafted 47th by New York this summer. He was regarded as one of the best movement shooters of the draft crop. That skill was on display in Vegas, and we’re excited to see more of it when he gets reps with the Westchester Knicks.
Egor Dëmin had a strong outing for the Nets, shooting 7-of-15 from the field while adding seven rebounds. He was aggressive attacking the rim and showed solid playmaking and efficiency as one of Brooklyn’s standouts. Selected eighth overall by the Nets last year, Dëmin enjoyed a promising rookie season, averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 52 games (45 starts) before plantar fasciitis sidelined him. He’s considered to be one of the key pieces in the Nets’ rebuild.
Up Next
The Knicks continue their Summer League schedule tomorrow against the San Antonio Spurs. Who’s betting that the Texans will want revenge for losing the Finals? Rest up, Knickerbockers.
Go Knicks.
