The New York Knicks project to have a totally new offensive approach in the upcoming season. Mike Brown has made no secret of his desire for the Knicks to up their tempo and become a fast-paced run-and-gun team.
Since arriving in New York, Jalen Brunson has thrived in Tom Thibodeau’s slower, half-court-based offense. Therefore, he’s expected to work through an adjustment period in the coming weeks and months. However, when speaking to the media as part of a recent news conference, Brown admitted that Brunson is already showing signs of progress.
“Jalen, he’s starting to adjust; you can see it,” Brown said. “I think this is gonna be good for him. You can see how much space he has when he brings the ball up. And again, if you want to pressure a guy like Jalen with that much space, it’s a pretty good chance that he can make you pay for it.”
Brown continued.
“And then, him just getting used to ‘run and still be effective,’ whether you’re on the ball or off the ball. It was great to see; you could see he’s starting to get his feet underneath him a little bit and understand how to play at that frantic pace and still be effective and know where his shots are gonna be or come from.”
Brunson has been the Knicks‘ primary offensive weapon in recent years. And while that doesn’t project to change, New York certainly appears to be moving toward a more egalitarian style of offense.
Adjustment Period Expected For Brunson
In a recent article by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Brunson was listed as the Knicks player who needs the biggest adjustment.
Brunson is a tremendous player, of course, and will remain a focal point of the Knicks‘ offense,” Bontemps wrote. “However, Brown has talked about both playing much faster and incorporating more ball movement into his offense in New York, much like he did with Sacramento the past few seasons. Brunson, on the other hand, has seemed to prefer playing at a slower pace, and the ball has constantly been in his hands under Thibodeau.”
Brunson has the skill set to thrive in a more up-tempo offense. However, it will certainly take some time for him to fully adopt Brown’s system, especially in terms of getting off the ball quicker and using his scoring gravity to bend defenses via cuts and spot-ups.
Knicks Should Thrive With New System
New York has a wealth of offensive talent. Brown’s system should help unlock the full potential of what the offense can be. Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson will likely see their usage and scoring opportunities increase. In turn, the Knicks will become a far more unpredictable opponent.
The Eastern Conference is wide open this season. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers project as legitimate threats to the Knicks. Therefore, Brown has an ideal opportunity to lead his roster to the NBA Finals.
After all, the Knicks have been constructed to challenge for championships. With a new-look offense in place, New York should be a hard team to slow down.
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