The New York Knicks are less than a week away from the tip-off of the NBA playoffs, but it’s safe to say that the anxiety has already been kicking in. The team has as much talent as anyone in the East, yet it’s sitting with the No. 3 seed in the conference. At times the Knicks have shown themselves to be a true contender, and at other times, they’ve folded the moment adversity strikes. But through it all, for all the money spent on the supporting cast and the star-studded starting five, it might well all come down to Jalen Brunson.
During his tenure as the Knicks’ leading man, Brunson has had some ups and downs in the postseason, but his numbers are very good: 29.9 points, 45.8% shooting, 33.6% from the 3-point line, with 6.8 assists. Last spring, though, the Knicks tended to get somewhat stuck offensively, as their offensive efficiency dropped from 117.3 in the regular season to 112.7 in the playoffs.
While there are plenty of spots on the Knicks roster that will be watched closely during the playoffs, the Knicks’ playoff hops are mostly in the hands of Brunson.
Jalen Brunson Can Be ‘Dominant’
For former Washington Wizards All-Star John Wall, Brunson still needs to figure out how to navigate his role as the Knicks’ engine and top scoring threat, while making sure all the other scorers on the team are getting their opportunities, too.
That’s partly on coach Mike Brown, to make sure the ball is moving the way the offense dictates. But it is ultimately Brunson who is running things on the floor.
In a conversation with the New York Post, Wall said, “Jalen Brunson, we know how dominant he is, how much he scores the ball, but he’s ball dominant, and I think a lot of times all those other guys don’t get implemented into the offense and they kind of get lost. I feel like we were gonna get more ball movement, and we don’t get too many of those, it’s kind of like the same offense we had before.”
Knicks Need Everyone Involved
Wall, now an analyst for Amazon Prime, was also asked by the Post’s Steve Serby if, indeed, the Knicks inability to move the ball was more on Mike Brown than Jalen Brunson. And Wall as clear, it’s not Brown.
It’s up to Brunson to continue developing the sense of when to dominate a game and when keep the Knicks’ other stars rolling.
“Mike Brown’s not the problem,” he said. “I feel like it’s the players in figuring out how to play well with each other at a high level. It’s about how can you get Jalen Brunson to still be efficient and be the way he is ’cause he’s so gifted, but he’s at his best when the ball is in his hands.
“I feel like anybody that coaches him is how can you get him to still be that killer guy he’s been for them and the clutch guy he has been for the Knicks and this city, and the fans love him, to get everybody else to also get going also? I’m not blaming Mike Brown for anything.”
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