Gershon Yabusele’s Standout Performance with the Knicks

Wednesday was likely the best outing for Gershon Yabusele as a Knick, even if expectations weren’t particularly high.

In a game against the Clippers at Madison Square Garden, he logged 13 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing two rebounds.

Head coach Mike Brown remarked on Yabusele’s performance, stating, “The bushes were huge.” He emphasized how the lineups contributed to Yabusele’s success. “He was fantastic defensively and showed great aggression. I really like that he’s being aggressive. We’ve discussed before that if you catch the ball and make quick decisions—like a snap drive—you can dunk. Just go for it. Whether he misses or not, he’s capable of turning the ball over. We definitely need him to keep attacking the rim with confidence, especially given his size.”

Yabusele, the Knicks’ most significant free-agent acquisition after Donte DiVincenzo, had found himself out of Brown’s rotation after a challenging start to the season. Notably, he faced a string of DNPs—four in a row—before being overshadowed by teammate Mohamed Diawara.

Yet, Yabusele appears to have regained his footing. Diawara managed only two minutes in Wednesday’s game, while in the six contests following those DNPs, Yabusele has averaged around 11.0 minutes of play.

Yabusele’s role could be impacted if Josh Hart returns from an ankle sprain, which could lead to reduced minutes for him. But the Knicks did sign Yabusele to fill a key position on their bench, and he seems to be on a path to fulfilling that role.

Jalen Brunson praised him, saying, “He’s ready to go. I thought he played excellently, particularly in the second half. That’s exactly what we needed.”

For now, Hart will sit out Friday’s game against the Suns in Phoenix, marking his eighth missed game in a row. He is due to be reevaluated on that day.