New York Knicks superstar guard Jalen Brunson was named a Top 10 player in the NBA heading into the 2025-26 season. However, Brunson is facing the biggest challenge of his career: taking the Knicks back to the NBA Finals.
ESPN released their Top 10 players for the upcoming season on September 25. Brunson was ranked 10th after helping the Knicks make their first Eastern Conference Final since 2000 last season. Tim Bontemps praised the two-time All-Star’s rise into the upper echelon of great Knicks players.
Bontemps added pressure on Brunson, whose task is to take the Knicks, at least, to the NBA Finals.
“In just three years, Brunson has moved himself onto the short list of the best players ever to wear the blue and orange. That also included leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years and to a third straight year with at least one playoff series victory, which hadn’t happened since the glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s. The only acceptable outcome for Brunson and the Knicks this season, though, is to fully break through and reach the NBA Finals for the first time this century,” Bontemps wrote.
While it’s NBA Finals or bust for the Knicks, the early season adjustment to new coach Mike Brown is a tough task. Brown loves to play fast, while Brunson prefers a slower pace on offense.
Jalen Brunson Breaks Silence on Tom Thibodeau’s Firing
The New York Knicks held their media day on September 25. Players like Jalen Brunson faced the media and answered some questions. Naturally, Brunson was asked about Tom Thibodeau’s firing, and the player has nothing but love for his former coach.
“It’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time part ways with this organization. But he’s meant a lot to me. I’ve expressed that to him publicly and personally. Yeah, he’s meant a lot to my career up to this point,” Brunson said.
As for playing under coach Mike Brown, Brunson is looking forward to knowing about his offense and is excited for training camp. The Knicks are set to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on October 2 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Karl-Anthony Towns Makes Commitment to Jalen Brunson
Mike Brown won three NBA championships as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors. Brown is going to introduce a faster-paced offense to the New York Knicks, with Karl-Anthony Towns already embracing the change.
Towns is also making a commitment to Jalen Brunson about buying into Brown’s system, similar to what the Warriors did with Steph Curry.
“JB’s one of the best point guards in the NBA, so, of course, when he has the ball in his hand, everyone takes notice. If Mike has said that, then we’re gonna have to do a better job of getting him open, in a way like Steph Curry. We’re going to have to find ways to make it easier for him to get the ball with space and help him get clean looks at the rim,” Towns said.
Brown was in charge of the Sacramento Kings for more than two seasons before getting fired after a 13-18 start last season. He led the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 2023. He also won his second NBA Coach of the Year award that same season.
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