It has been an inauspicious start to the season for New York Knicks superstar point guard Jalen Brunson. With a bad Detroit Pistons team up next on their schedule Friday, this is the game that the team would like to see their captain turn things around.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson has gotten off to a fairly slow start to the season
Through the first four games of the season, Brunson is averaging 22.8 points and 5.8 assists per game, but his efficiency is down from his usual marks, shooting 44% from the floor overall. The last two games have particularly been a struggle for him, as he shot 33% from the field in both games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. Brunson churned up the scoring in the second half on Wednesday against the Heat with 18 second-half points, but it took him a while to truly get into a rhythm with his shot.
The positive takeaway from his start to the year is that his assist numbers are trending up, with seven against the Cavaliers and a season-high nine against the Heat. Additionally, Karl-Anthony Towns was able to pick up the slack Wednesday against Miami with a 44-point, 13-rebound masterclass. Despite the poor shooting, it is still a good thing to see Brunson have an impact as a facilitator, an area of his game in which he is still growing.
However, the Knicks will need Brunson to kick things into high gear and snap out of this mini-cold spell against a Pistons team that has been the worst in the league over the past few seasons. Detroit has quietly been a better defense than New York to begin the season, with opponents scoring just 110.6 points per game through their first five games compared to New York’s 111.8 points allowed.
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The Knicks’ success in transition can give Brunson better opportunities to score
The Knicks have also allowed the fourth-worst field goal percentage so far this season, with opponents shooting 48.4% from the floor, though the figure is likely inflated due to the record-tying three-point barrage by the Boston Celtics on Opening Night. However, the Pistons struggle at taking care of the basketball, as they have committed an average of 16 turnovers per game in the early going. The Knicks excel at scoring in transition and off of turnovers, which can benefit Brunson to get much cleaner looks for both himself and his teammates.
In addition, following Towns’ big game against Miami, the Pistons will have to give him a lot of attention on the court, which will give Brunson the ideal one-on-one matchup for him to operate when running their sets. As of now, however, Towns is questionable for the game with a sprained left wrist, so they will need to prepare for the possibility of missing their All-Star center.
Given the lopsided matchup, this game serves as a “get right” game for Brunson. While his start to the year is not the worst of starts, it is uncharacteristic of what most Knicks fans are accustomed to. A big game from Brunson will erase any major concerns surrounding him going forward The game against the Pistons will tip off at 7 P.M. EST Friday.
