4 Thoughts on Knicks' Starters After Their First Few Preseason Games

The defending champions have played two preseason games, both of which have resulted in losses. The results of said games should't and don't matter too much, but the content of the games do.

Preseason is a good chance to take a look at new players, guys coming back from injuries, training camp invites, and how the starters look. And even though the starters have played sparingly, we have learned a thing or two about them.

1. Jalen Brunson is okay

The Knicks' point guard has built a well deserved reputation of being Mr. Reliable. He's as steady as a rock and it always feels like you can count on him to come through. So when it was revealed that he'd be undergoing offseason wrist surgery, I don't think too many people were overly concerned about how he'd be when he came back. That being said, surgery on the shooting hand for a 30 year-old isn't nothing, either.

Thus far, Brunson seems to be okay. He is coming off of a night in which he shot just 1-6 from three against the Wizards, but overall, Brunson looks like he's in midseason form. He's averaging 12.5 ppg while shooting 50% from the field and most importantly, there seems to be absolutely no mental impact of the surgery.

He's driven the ball, taken floaters, shot mid range shots, and has continued to look for the three-point shot as well. And defensively, he's battle more than many have have, even drawing a few of his patented offensive foul already as well. As is often the case, Brunson has reassured fans that he's the least of their worries.

2. OG Anunoby is getting to the line

It feels like Anunoby has been in the league forever now. But people forget that he is still just 29 years old. Since becoming a Knick back in December of 2023, he's improved his game, becoming a better midrange shooter, driver, and above-the-break three-point shooter. One thing we've seen him do a lot this preseason is get to the line.

Contrary to some people's beliefs, being able to draw fouls and shoot free throws is a skill that many never gain. It's hard to tell with the aforementioned small sample size if this is going to be a theme throughout the season. But he currently leads the team in free throws per game, with 5.5 attempts per game, despite playing just 16.6 mpg.

If this newfound skill is here to stay, it could benefit both Anunoby and the Knicks greatly. The two-way star is a great free throw shooter and it could boost the team and his own efficiency, helping make life easier for Brunson as well.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns as the offensive hub hasn't been abandoned

If it ain't broke, don't fix it... right? Well ideally, yes. But given the dynamic of a team sport, you still never really know what a team will and wants to do.

While the Knicks using Towns more as an offensive hub was one of the turning point of a postseason run that ended in a championship, some were still unsure if we'd continue seeing it. Was it just a postseason thing that was born out of desperation? Would the team revert to their old habits of relying on Brunson-centric iso ball?

While it's not their only course of attack early on, we've seen the starters maintain aspects of having Towns initiate more offense, especially in the season opener. The big man, who's justifiably frustrated about his lack of an extension, was playing out of the high-post a lot, initiating with passes and utilizing dribble handoffs.

The fact that they executed it to perfection during the postseason without previously leaning on it was impressive. But if they can continue to work on it and perfect it, it should really amplify the offense like it did towards the end of last season.

4. Mikal Bridges may be looking to attack more?

Bridges is back on great terms with Knicks fans after being so reliable during the postseason. But one consistent gripe fans have had with him is his avoidance of contact when driving.

He was much better at driving in to contact and playing physical on both ends during the postseason. But as was the case with playing through Towns more, fans were skeptical about how much of it we'd see in the regular season.

We aren't there yet, and it's still a small sample size, but it seems like Bridges is looking to be a bit more physical in his drives more. On a few occasions thus far, he's taken the ball to the rack and he's even spoken about doing so more.

He'll never turn into Brunson or Towns and draw numerous fouls. And he has also still settled for fadeaways a few times. But as his height and with his wingspan, he shouldn't shy away from contact and fade away so often and it looks like it's at least somewhat of a priority so far.

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