The Milwaukee Bucks got two notable names on their injury report Tuesday afternoon, and only one of them ended up available for the matchup with the New York Knicks.
Tyler Herro was officially ruled out, while Kel’el Ware was listed questionable with a left ankle sprain before later being cleared to play. The update left Milwaukee without its leading scorer, but at least spared them another absence in the frontcourt.
Herro has carried the team’s offense this season, averaging 21.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range. With the Bucks already searching for answers, losing the player who has been their most reliable scoring threat is a major blow.
Injury Update: Tyler Herro is out for tonight’s game at New York. Kel’el Ware is available. https://t.co/FA7HgoGPw4
Ware’s status was worth watching because his season has taken a sharp dip after a strong opening stretch. In the first six games, he posted three double-doubles and looked like a steady piece.
Over the last four games, though, the production has fallen off hard. He’s averaging 2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1 block in that span, shooting 19% from the field and failing to hit a 3-pointer in 13.8 minutes per night.
That slump has already led to stretches where Jericho Sims has been the preferred option. In Milwaukee’s recent loss to the Boston Celtics, Sims logged about 15 minutes while Ware played nine. The frustration around Ware’s recent play has been obvious among Bucks fans, especially given the expectations that came with him.
Now the pressure shifts to the rest of the rotation. Ryan Rollins, who has been moved to the bench, should see a bigger role against the Knicks, and Kasparas Jakučionis also gets a chance to help after struggling with his shot and turnovers.
In Other News...
Knicks Backcourt Suddenly Has Another Young Guard Worth Watching
A former lottery pick is on the verge of landing in the Knicks orbit, giving Westchester another young guard worth tracking this winter. Rob Dillingham, who was waived by the Hornets in September, is expected to sign with the Westchester Knicks once the waivers process is complete, adding a player with real pedigree to the organizations developmental pipeline.
Dillingham entered the league as the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and has already bounced through stops with the Timberwolves and Bulls in his first two NBA seasons. He has shown flashes along the way, but he still has not carved out a steady home on an NBA roster, which makes this next step a chance to reset his stock while giving the Knicks a closer look at a guard who still has plenty of upside. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Need A Real Tyler Kolek Rotation Test Soon
Tyler Kolek has quietly started to carve out a real role for the Knicks in recent games, and the minutes have been more than just late-game housekeeping. He got a run against Milwaukee before the outcome was settled, then followed it up with a 10-minute stint against the Bulls in which he handed out five assists without a turnover, the kind of clean, composed stretch that can catch a coaching staffs attention.
What comes next is the more interesting question for New York. The Knicks may want to see Kolek alongside a starter soon, especially with Cleveland on the schedule, to get a better read on whether he can organize the offense against a higher-level opponent and not just in spot duty. It is still a speculative idea, but it feels like the sort of test that could tell the Knicks a lot about how much trust they can place in him moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Brown Sounds Off After Knicks Loss Raises Brunson Concern
The Knicks loss to Cleveland came with a familiar kind of frustration, the sort that lingers long after the final buzzer because it leaves you wondering what might have been different. Jalen Brunson still led New York with 27 points in 35 minutes, but the lack of trips to the line stood out in a game the Knicks dropped by eight, especially with the Cavaliers finishing with 14 more free-throw attempts.
Mike Brown did not hide his irritation afterward, pointing to the officiating and the disparity at the stripe as a major issue. For a Knicks team trying to keep pace in a tight stretch, the concern is not just the result itself but whether Brunsons night without a free-throw attempt becomes part of a bigger pattern worth watching. [Read more 🡒]