The New York Knicks hold few honors in this era of the NBA. On October 21st, 2022, New York had the honor of witnessing the debut of Jalen Brunson in Madison Square Garden. In a blowout over the Detroit Pistons, to the tune of 17 points and six assists, no one envisioned the leap Brunson would take in just two years. The now 27-year-old point guard is the face of New York Basketball and the official team captain of the Knicks.
Brunson made headlines by being doubted as the first option for New York. Becky Hammon, (Las Vegas Aces head coach and former assistant under Greg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs) made an enemy of Knicks fans, saying Brunson wasn’t capable of leading this team.
Following those comments, Brunson averaged 37 points in back-to-back games, both against Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with a 38-point night in a win on Christmas Day. That’s been the story of Brunson. Working hard is muscle memory for Brunson, and ‘hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.’
On the season, New York dealt with injury after injury. Coach Thibodeau, was forced to play guys extended minutes while Brunson went out and put on a run for the ages. Brunson had ten games of 40+ points last season, with a 50-point performance vs Phoenix and a career-high 61-point outing against San Antonio.
Jalen Brunson is the Knicks’ Cerebral Assassin
Brunson averaged 35 points per game in the final month of the season, and the New York Knicks finished second seed in the Eastern Conference. A shift from ‘overrated’ to ‘underrated’ happened nearly overnight as the playoffs arrived, and Brunson balled out on a bigger stage.
Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jalen Brunson averaged 35 points and nine assists as the engine of New York, but missing players and fatigue caught up to the Knicks in the second round. The recent respect Brunson has received from fans and his peers alike as one of the best in the league has put him in MVP conversations and higher expectations before the season has begun.
On the August 7th, 2024 edition of First Take, Courtney Cronin, host on ESPN1000, stated Brunson will join Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry as players under 6-foot-3 to lead their team to the NBA Finals.
Captain Brunson can lead the Knicks to a championship
The New York Knicks are contenders now. Brunson is at the helm with new additions and returning players to maximize their potential, and they are all well-rested with plenty to prove. This roster is the best collection of talent the Knicks have ever assembled in history, and they look to redefine the standard practices of how winning basketball is played in such a ‘copycat’ era. The captain of this team is not taking over from beyond the arc, but he can. He’s not only destroying opponents off the dribble, but he ranked sixth in the highest percentage of unassisted field goals made.
Brunson doesn’t go hard to the hole relying on transition to convert, but he was better at the rim in the playoffs than Oklahoma City Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Minnesota Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. He has it all and is the benchmark for the New York Knicks with his incredible skill and humility while leading by example.
Teammates get behind Brunson, and seeing how Mikal Bridges is the latest edition, there is faith that Captain Brunson will take the New York Knicks to the promised land.
