The New York Knicks are in the midst of a franchise renaissance. Heading into the 2023-24 season, there are no negative headlines or storylines focused on the Knicks; they are focused solely on basketball and their work on the court.
This is the first time in a long time that can be said about the team. It wasn’t long ago that they were the laughingstock of the NBA, mired by poor performances on the court and bad publicity. But, with playoff appearances in two out of the last three seasons, things are turning around.
The coverage of the Knicks has started to change in the last year or so. Instead of ‘Knicks for clicks’ with negativity, they are garnering a lot of positive attention in the media. Analysts respect the work that the front office and coaching staff have done and love the roster that has been put together.
At the heart of this rebirth is point guard Jalen Brunson. The Knicks signed him in free agency in the summer of 2022 to a four-year, $104 million deal. At the time, there were many people skeptical of the contract, believing that Brunson was nothing more than a sidekick, not capable of being a lead guard.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jalen Brunson & New York Knicks Updates
Those people were quickly proven wrong as Brunson looks like a bonafide superstar. He had an All-Star caliber regular season, averaging 24 points with 6.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 35 minutes per game. Brunson was efficient despite a massive jump in usage rate, making 49.1 percent of his shots overall, 41.6 percent of his 3-pointers and 82.9 from the foul line.
In the postseason, he elevated his game to another level despite battling some lower-body injuries. Brunson averaged 27.8 points per game to go along with 5.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 40.3 minutes. The team’s production fell off a cliff whenever he went to the bench as he was the clear-cut leader for the team.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jalen Brunson & New York Knicks Updates
While his 3-point shooting took a hit, as he made only 32.5 percent, he was excellent overall, making 47.4 percent from the field and 91.2 percent at the charity stripe. That jump in production in the playoffs was special to see and there are analysts that believe that level can become the new norm for Brunson.
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, on an appearance of the Tampering Pod, there are people within the Knicks organization who believe Brunson has another level to reach. He isn’t close to reaching his potential, which would elevate this team, possibly a true contender in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks have been seeking out a superstar-level player to bring the team back to prominence for years. They have been linked to some excellent players this offseason as a trade suitor, but they may already have one on the team.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jalen Brunson & New York Knicks Updates
Brunson’s first season with the Knicks was an excellent one. It will be interesting to see what he has in store for an encore in Year 2. Another jump in production level would lead to him ascending into the upper echelon of player rankings in the NBA.
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