Knicks Need Supporting Cast to Perform For Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks are expecting a bit of a regression from All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson.

Brunson is 29 and very capable of being an All-NBA player once again, but new head coach Mike Brown's system will take the ball out of the point guard's hands. Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley thinks the Knicks will need more help for Brunson this season.

"New Knicks coach Mike Brown has championed a change in offensive philosophy that would make his team faster, less ball-dominant and, ultimately, less reliant on star guard Jalen Brunson. All of that sounds new, exciting and maybe even better for New York's playoff hopes," Buckley wrote.

"We're in October, though. Every coach is preaching the importance of pace and player movement. And if the Knicks stumble through some growing pains now, they can chalk it up to the changes being made and move on without any real damage done.

"If the system isn't operating how it should when the games start to matter, though, maybe New York's old offensive habits prove too hard to break. Remember, the old system elevated Jalen Brunson—the franchise centerpiece—to an All-NBA level. If he isn't as productive, and his teammates aren't picking up the slack, this championship-or-bust club can only stomach growing pains for so long."

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson speaks to the media during a media day press conference at the Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Brunson could face setback with Knicks

Brunson averaged 26 points per game last season, which was a hair below his average from the previous year. Simply put, it would be unfair to Brunson to expect him to average 26 points per game again in Brown's system because he is not going to have the ball in his hands as often.

Brunson is happy to give the ball to his teammates, but they will need to execute. Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns will have to step up a little bit to fill in those gaps and they will be given the opportunity to do so.

Other players like Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele will be expected to contribute on the offensive end off the bench. This gives the Knicks an opportunity to have a well-rounded roster, but they have to execute in order to achieve their goals.

If Brunson and his supporting cast can play up to their standards, the Knicks should be in great shape to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming season.

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