The New York Knicks are down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, leaving some to wonder if this team truly belongs there. Despite a strong regular season and their first ECF appearance in 25 years, there is a feeling of disappointment around the team’s performance in this series.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said that Jalen Brunson is carrying the Knicks through the playoffs
One of the more consistent playoff performers for New York has been their captain, Jalen Brunson. He has scored 30 or more points in three of the four games played so far this series and has been a big part of their playoff run thus far.
However, the inconsistent performance of his teammates, such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, has the team in the dire situation it is currently in. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said Thursday on Get Up that Brunson has had to do some major heavy lifting this postseason as a result.
“Jalen Brunson has single-handedly dragged a very average team to the Eastern Conference Finals,” Greenberg said. “I could down the list of the other players on this team and their flaws, but if you watch them, you already know what they are. They’re good players, every one of them [are] good players, but every one of them are significantly flawed. They need one guy to be a star, a superstar, a guy who is genuinely brilliant, and Jalen Brunson night in and night out has been that.”
On paper, the Knicks have an abundance of talent that can compete with anybody. Towns was an All-Star starter this year alongside Brunson, Bridges and OG Anunoby are elite perimeter defenders, and guys like Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Mitchell Robinson provide exceptional value in their respective roles.
The Knicks need to get positive contributions from the supporting cast
However, coaching and a lack of chemistry have caused them to be a sinking ship at times. There are several instances of miscommunication on defense leading to easy looks for their opponent, and inconsistent scoring performances from some of their other guys force Brunson to be the guy to go to down the stretch.
Of course, Brunson is very clutch, as demonstrated by him winning the Clutch Player of the Year award. However, without much help from the supporting cast, the team becomes too reliant on Brunson, and teams know how to counter it.
If the Knicks want to pull off an improbable 3-1 series comeback over the Pacers, they will need to get more from everybody on the court and play good all-around team basketball. Game 5 is set for Thursday at 8 P.M. EST at Madison Square Garden, where they will look to keep their season alive.