The newly assembled New York Knicks are 3-4 through their first seven games. In a surprising twist, a large part of their slow start can be credited to the play of Jalen Brunson.
Outside of his three-point percentage, the Knicks star is having a down year across the board, averaging 25.3 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. After a 121-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Brunson was candid when asked to assess his performance.
“Like (expletive)…Because I have my own expectations and I haven’t lived up to them,” Brunson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
New York’s starting point guard finished with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting with 3 turnovers. Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels — listed at 6-foot-8 with a 10-foot wingspan — held Brunson to 0-for-7 shooting on the night, according to NBA.com’s Matchups Tracker.
“He competes,” Brunson told Bondy of the Hawks’ forward. “You got to give him credit. He competed really well.”
Brunson and the Knicks will look to rebound on October 8, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on their home floor at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm EST.
Jalen Brunson Talks Critical Possessions vs. Hawks
Down one with 52.1 seconds left, Brunson turned down an open three to get the ball to Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed a 22-foot three-pointer of his own. Atlanta scored on the next possession, and that was the game.
Brunson told reporters after the game that he was trusting Towns’ higher release point.
“They were all loaded up on me,” Brunson continued. “And KAT has a higher release point where nobody can really contest his shot. I thought it was a good shot. The ball hit the rim at a certain angle and they were off to the races.”
The integration of new starters and adaptation to the loss of others will make or break this Knicks season. New York pulled off two blockbuster trades with the idea that Brunson would still be himself.
So far, that’s not been the case.
Towns Calls Knicks ‘Sluggish’ After Loss
Brunson’s off-night won’t be overshadowed, but Towns tried his best to do so. New York’s starting center finished the night with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 38 minutes played.
But akin to his captain, Towns was frank when asked about the Knicks’ struggles.
“Tonight, you know including myself, just came out sluggish, and we can’t allow that to happen,” Towns told reporters postgame. “We gotta impose our will, play New York Knicks basketball right from the giddyup. Can’t just ease into the game. Yeah, this one’s gonna hurt. This one’s gonna hurt. It’s a learned lesson but this one’s gonna hurt.”
New York’s first set of back-to-back losses is bound to have some fans claiming the sky is falling. But trusting Leon Rose and the Knicks front office to deliver was never an overnight commitment.
As the team continues to gel, things will be smooth out. That goes for Brunson, too, who’s learning in real time how to share the ball with a big man like Towns who can shoot threes and crash the glass.
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