Knicks Second Option Could be a Committee

Jalen Brunson is the New York Knicks' best player, but who will the team also count on?

Dec 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles against New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports | Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks are Jalen Brunson's team. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.

But who is the team's second-best player and who could receive the ball in clutch moments in close fourth-quarter games? That's a little bit up in the air. The Athletic insider Fred Katz believes there is no set answer.

"Crunchtime will be Brunson’s, no different than in years past," Katz writes. "But on some nights, he might not have it. On others, he may jog up the court with flames on his back, hot enough that defenses bend toward him every possession to get the basketball out of his hands. On those evenings, the Knicks might need another perimeter player to initiate the offense. That could be Mikal Bridges’ chance to stand out. On others, like if a defense is blitzing Brunson in pick-and-rolls, sending two defenders in his direction when a teammate sets a screen for him, it may be Randle’s turn."

This is the beauty in the Knicks' roster. There doesn't need to be a set second-best player, and that's perfectly fine.

In the playoffs last season, the Knicks didn't have Bridges nor Randle as the former was sitting on the couch with the Brooklyn Nets and the latter was on the sidelines recovering from shoulder surgery. That enabled the likes of Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride to step in and help out, and their heroics were crucial to some wins during their playoff run.

Ultimately, there's a number of different players who can be Brunson's sidekick late in games. In a perfect world, Randle is probably going to be that guy given his ceiling as a player, but it doesn't have to be. A number of Knicks are capable of hitting clutch shots down the stretch, and that's what makes them an incredibly dangerous team.

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