Jalen Brunson has helped spark the New York Knicks to a 3-1 start to the season.
When the New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson in free agency, I was concerned about how it would all work out. Despite his success with the Dallas Mavericks, to be quite honest, I can’t say I was entirely sold on the idea that Brunson was going to come in and have a significant impact on the Knicks off the bat.
But, at least through the first week of the season, that’s exactly what has transpired in New York.
Jalen Brunson is powering the new-look New York Knicks
The Knicks are 3-1 and have won three-straight games (after losing the season-opener to the Memphis Grizzlies). And a bit part of their early-season success has been the impact that Brunson has had on this team on the offensive end.
Last season, the Knicks ended the year with the 19th-ranked offense in the league. So far this season, New York is ranked fifth in offensive rating. That’s a huge jump and one of the biggest differences from last season to this season is Jalen Brunson.
Brunson is averaging 20 points, nine assists, and five rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from 3-point range. Brunson has been so good offensively for the Knicks that he’s helped compensate for RJ Barrett’s rough start to the season.
Brunson’s game is contagious that it has impacted nearly every facet of the Knicks to start the season. Brunson absolutely has his limitations as a player. He’s small and struggles on the defensive end. Still, New York has managed to carry a top-10 unit on that end of the floor through the first few games of the season.
Brunson isn’t only scoring but he’s also getting others involved. He’s brought a leadership and a confidence that this team simply didn’t have last season. And, so far, it’s paying dividends for a team that was hoping to take a step forward this season in the Eastern Conference.
A hot start is not new for the Knicks. They’ve had hot starts in the past. The big challenge for this team revolves around whether they can be consistent enough to keep this going. And the same will be said of Brunson, who is averaging career highs nearly across the board.
Brunson has made the Knicks fun again and, to a certain extent, competitive. It’ll be interesting to see if they can keep it going this season and how far this core can actually take them.