On Saturday, the New York Knicks punched their ticket to the championship game of this season's NBA Cup tournament with a comfortable win in the semifinal round over the Orlando Magic in Las Vegas. The Knicks were led by point guard Jalen Brunson, who dropped 40 points against what has been one of the best defenses in the NBA so far this year.
Overall, the Knicks have been rolling of late, closing in on the Detroit Pistons for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, but one player who has performed slightly below expectations is backup big man Guerschon Yabusele, who signed with the team over the summer but has seen sporadic minutes at a variety of positions so far this season.
Recently, Yabusele got real about the frustration of his ever-changing role on the team.
“I don’t want to lie, it’s very difficult. I’m a competitor first and foremost, and this isn’t the situation I thought I’d be in when I arrived,” he said, per Hoopshype, via Ouest France. ”
“Last year, I spent most of the season playing center, so it’s not too complicated for me,” he added.
Yabusele registered on NBA teams' radars with his performance for his native France during the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and parlayed that into signing with the Philadelphia 76ers prior to last season, before joining the Knicks over the summer.
Overall, Yabusele can provide three-point shooting and solid defense and rebounding, but as he mentioned, it has been hard for him to get acclimated with Mike Brown consistently changing his role.
Still, overall, things are going well for the Knicks, who will play for the NBA Cup title on Tuesday evening against the San Antonio Spurs, once again in Las Vegas.
That game is set to tip off at 8:30 pm ET.
