martin wrote:I think the Alex Caruso mold may be a good path and comparison for McCullar, with the obvious early injury bug tacked on and obviously tempered for ceiling upside. I think Caruso spent 2-3 years in the Gleague, first solid season in NBA was at 23. Caruso seems to have a lower center of gravity and just stronger but McCullar is listed as taller and 15lbs heavier but those could be old weight listing for Alex. Maybe a wing version of iHart: a guy who wants to play defense and do the small things and pass before he shoots. Wings are plentiful in the league compared to centers so there is a steep climb. To get a chance with the Knicks, injury and probably a trade needs to happen. To survive in the league, Kevin will need to show that he isn't afraid of his 3point shot and stays healthy.
I still find it totally wild that his last few games in the Gleague included time running the point, Kevin had triple doubles doing it but you never know what that means stats-wise. It's super interesting to me that they had him handle the ball and offense. I think Kevin is decent in the mid range and rim shooting AND he is a super willing passer. Knicks do well collapsing and passing and that circle jerk flow offense they run, and Kevin will fit into that. Same with Dadiet, or at least that is the hope as a cutter, mover but for the shooting.
McCullar was a defensive player of the year type at the NCAA level before injury? I think he can be a ****-it-up defender in the Josh Hart mold and role. Just does a little bit of everything and you hope the distance shooting doesn't become his kryptonite.
If I had to make a guess: The Knicks favor wing guys that know how to operate within the defense and offense at a certain level - knowing where to be and when to move, and the overall read and react type stuff - and are willing to be very patient on the shooting side of things (especially with a plus defender whose motor is always on), knowing they can grow that side of a player with time and reps reps reps. All things being equal, shooting is easier to gain than the other IQ and decision making stuff, and that's why we see guys like Deuce, Shamet, Kolek, Mo, Dadiet, McCullar marinate and get chances. Diawara was a fast grow shooter; Dadiet is on the opposite end. Deuce shot piss poor his first 2 seasons while bopping back and forth to the GLeague but the Knicks had faith. Could barely pass or dribble at the NBA too and he was a PG in college.
There are tons of example of guys coming out of nowhere and adding 3point shooting to their arsenal. It's just like FTs, confidence and reps. You cannot do that in other areas of the game so easily and that's what the Knicks target and look for first. IMHO McCullar fits that mold and he is waiting on a chance to prove it.
That was a meat and potatoes post my man
I like the Caruso comp. It highlights how very good players don't always have an easy journey to becoming established, but once they do they tend to become sought after pieces. Caruso was one of the free agents I coveted over the years while Leon was assembling our champs.
Yes, McCullar could be a Josh 2.0 on the roster whom you can sic on various sized bodies as a disruptor. Hart is the king of small rebounders so I'm not sure about that aspect, but everything else has similar possibilities to what Hart brings to the team. If anything, he might be a more disciplined version of Hart less prone to his lapses in attention, but we need reps to say that with any certainty. I just get the impression he's pretty locked in and understands game flow.
If he had it in him to be one of the nation's top defensive players in school, that ability does translate to the NBA as long as his ability to react laterally is/was not diminished due to past injury. I did not see any flaw in his footwork and reactions on D last year so I think that remains solid.
I forget which main club game he got his most minutes last season, but IIRC I think that was the game he was one of the primary reasons we won a game down the stretch due to his multiple defensive plays and interceptions late in the game, the kinds of plays Mikal pulls out of his ass during the playoffs to close out games defensively. One game, big deal, but still I saw him do stuff other guys rarely do. That was the one time last year Brown rode Kevin to the finish because he was balling. He did not get many opportunities after that. Anyway, he's a ball hawk with good hands. He gets into lanes and strips the ball off his opponents.
And you're right, the one skill he can level up happens all the time. My favorite example is Trevor Ariza who could not hit the side of a barn as a rookie, but went on to become the prototype for the modern 3 & D player. What I saw in G League last year was games where his form was clean and he was hitting his threes. He could be very close to turning the corner if he's working on his shooting form religiously, because he was already looking better.
If you get average or plus shooting numbers out of McCullar he suddenly becomes someone everyone will be talking about because his bag is already pretty full IMO.
9/29/2026 12:03 PM
