Thursday, March 28

Why Jalen Brunson is Knicks’ best option now


THE HASHTAG you see a lot is IYKYK. 

If you’re not familiar, IYKYK is an acronym that stands for If You Know, You Know. It’s used to describe when someone is discussing something which those who are familiar would understand. 

And when it comes to the Knicks’ point-guard situation, IYKYFK. 

You can guess what the F means. 

Anyone who watched the Knicks frequently last season saw what happened in any tight game: With a few minutes remaining, their offense would go completely stagnant. There was nobody to orchestrate against opposing defenses. Often, someone would try to win one-on-one. 

Most times, it failed. Most times, the Knicks struggled badly to score. Most times, the Knicks lost. 

In clutch situations last season, which occurred in 44 games, the Knicks ranked second-worst in the NBA with a 35.9 field goal percentage and fifth-worst with a 40.9 winning percentage. 

Jalen Brunson during the Mavericks' playoff run
Jalen Brunson during the Mavericks’ playoff run
USA TODAY Sports

The need for a true point guard has been glaring for decades — and it seemed more glaring than ever last season. This is a league of point guards (and wings, as Kevin Durant has noted). Having someone to facilitate an offense — generate better shots for teammates and run the show on the floor — is essential, especially against any strong defense. 

Let’s assume the Knicks do indeed land Jalen Brunson (as opposed to the now-nightmare scenario of swinging and missing). Is Brunson a superstar? He is not. Is he a top-10 point guard in the NBA? He is not. 

But Brunson is really good. And he’s very much what the Knicks need. 

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Trading for Brunson would not be my first choice. That said, two points: 

1. While Brunson is really good, he seems to be becoming perhaps more than that and — most encouraging of all — his performance isn’t hollow. Brunson was arguably the second-best player on the Western Conference finalists last season. When Luka Doncic was out for three games against the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, Brunson was spectacular as Dallas’ best player: 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 50.7 field-goal percentage, 41.2 percent on 3-pointers. The Mavericks won two of the three games they played without the all-world Doncic. 

There’s a famous quote from Warriors president Bob Myers in which he said: “The playoffs are nothing like the regular season. They are two completely different sports.” Myers added: “Whatever they know [a star] does well, is gone. … The more dimensions you have to your game, the harder you are to take away. You watch the playoffs, you know who can play basketball. That’s when you evaluate players.” 

During this past postseason, Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting .466/.347/.800 across 18 games versus the Jazz, Suns and Warriors. 

You watch the playoffs, you know who can play basketball. That’s when you evaluate players. 

Dejounte Murray on April 13, 2022.
Dejounte Murray on April 13, 2022.
NBAE via Getty Images

2. The Knicks should push hard for the Spurs’ Dejounte Murray. Or they should have found a way to land Jaden Ivey in the draft. Brunson is a young, rising point guard, but he’s not the same type of young, rising point guard as Ja Morant or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

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But you’re not getting those guys. Brunson, however, is reminiscent of Fred VanVleet. They have similar career paths (neither was a first-round pick), similar builds (VanVleet is 6-foot-1, 197 pounds; Brunson is 6-1, 190 pounds) and similar early-career improvement and ascension. 

VanVleet’s first three seasons: 8.3 points, 3.3 assists, .412/.394/.836 shooting percentages. 

Brunson’s first three seasons: 10.1 points, 3.3 assists, .489/.373/.775 shooting percentages. 

VanVleet’s fourth season: 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, .413/.390/.848 shooting percentages. 

Brunson’s fourth season: 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, .502/.373/.840 shooting percentages. 

And this past season? VanVleet became an All-Star. 

Brunson is a Villanova kid, and Jay Wright’s Wildcats (Mikal Bridges, Saddiq Bey, Josh Hart, Kyle Lowry, Donte DiVincenzo, Brunson) seem to always play well in the NBA. They can shoot, pass, defend, are unselfish and are tough-minded. 

RJ Barrett is suggestive of a wing version of Lowry. He won’t wow anyone with athleticism, but he does everything well and helps his team win. You know who also has those traits? Jalen Brunson. 

IYKYK: The Knicks badly, desperately need a good point guard. If it won’t be Dejounte Murray? If it isn’t Jaden Ivey? It’s hard to argue that it shouldn’t be Jalen Brunson.



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