Knicks Should Take These Three Steps to Help Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks could afford to make their captain's job easier following a tight loss.

Mar 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) before the game against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The NBA's best team by record visited the league's top defense over the last quarter of the season on March 4 in Madison Square Garden, and unfortunately for faithful New York Knicks fans, the squad buckled in succumbing to the Oklahoma City Thunder at home to extend an unfortunate defeats at the hand of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 26 PTS, 3 REBS, 8 ASTS, 1 STL, 7/7 FT on 9/16 FG vs Knicks

7-0 in MSG 👀 https://t.co/VGADnDxetw pic.twitter.com/MKd8cT0JWo

— NBA Performances (@NBARewinds) March 5, 2026

He and Chet Holmgren combined for 54 points in the tight 103-100 loss, while Jalen Brunson, the Knicks star headlining the other team's marquee, was held to 16 points on 5/18 shooting. He was stuck in a straitjacket all night against the long, bothersome Oklahoma City defenders, managing the few buckets he had with the least-amount of possible space to get his shots off.

His squad maintains their top-five record after the defeat, as well as their status as one of the game's most serious contenders. But for the Knicks to meaningfully frighten the Thunder in a theoretical NBA Finals matchup, New York's supporting cast will need to make Brunson's job as the scoring and distributing point guard a little bit easier in the future.

Playing with Pace

It's important that the Knicks maintain their motors in the event of a Thunder rematch, or even another round against a dominant defensive team like the paint-focused San Antonio Spurs.

Oklahoma City is known for its assembly of backcourt stoppers, with Cason Wallace leading the way by picking Brunson up well before he was looking towards the rim, and supplementary irritants like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso weren't any more favorable in their occasional on-ball possessions.

To avoid giving the Thunder the time required to set up their point of attack wall while dictating who's set to help on the back line, the Knicks have to just keep on pushing the pace. They understood this well enough in the loss, helping Brunson reach 15 assists behind numerous finishes off of his outlet feeds and strong fast break finishes.

Mar 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) goes up for a dunk against Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

First-year Knicks head coach Mike Brown hasn't taxed his starters to nearly the same degree as his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, trusting his bench of defenders to fill in for the starters enough to the point that nearly every impactful Knicks has seen a decrease in minutes per game between seasons. And if they want to play fast, a tenet that Brown's been stressing before he coached a single game in New York, platooning it will have to be the way to beat set defenses.

Keeping Josh Hart in Motion

A second practice to indulge in to aid the offense involves movement, but not that open-floor sprinting and awareness required of the prior point. The Knicks' half court offense grew stale over previous campaigns once everyone else convinced themselves that Brunson's tough shot-making was good enough to lean on, and their insistence on innovating has already begin paying dividends.

Josh Hart has continued slipping as the energetic priority he was when he first arrived in New York, with his tendency to linger around the perimeter completely robbing Brunson's screen actions and spacing from any potential juice. Opponents have neutralized the Hart lineups in the past by placing their center on the poor shooter, but the Knicks have tinkered with ways to keep the pressure on the defense.

Feb 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) dribbles up court against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If teams like the Thunder are willing to guard him like a center, then he may as well punish the shifted coverage. He's remained effective as a roller off of ball screens, cutter and general motion man, always understanding where to slip when Brunson's looking for an opening to pass. He missed a few finishes right at the rim, but every single one of his buckets on the evening was a credit to the point guard's ability to pull in multiple defenders and find the roaming Hart on the move.

It may be a high-maintenance strategy to deploy for a player who isn't even playing like the same comfortable starter he once was, but constantly opening up playmaking opportunities for a trapped distributor remains an effective way to keep foes from overcommitting to one man, even if he's as talented a one-on-one scorer as Brunson.

Remaining Effective from Distance

The last maneuver left to keep in mind isn't as much a strategy as it it's a constant goal. The non-Brunson Knicks have to hit on their 3-pointers in order to warp the defense around the perimeter.

OG Anunoby was the lone New York starter to hit on multiple deep shots, and even he took 13 attempts to knock down four threes. Had Mohamed Diawara not been as ready to snipe as he's been all season in hitting on three of his own four attempts, the Knicks would have finished with seven knockdowns from behind the arc on 31 chucks.

Mar 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) reacts after making a three point basket during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If there's one way to beat the Thunder, it's by engaging them in a shootout. They're in the middle of the league's pack in percentage, attempts and makes per game, and their lack of creation aside from Gilgeous-Alexander and recent-addition Jared McCain has led to their settling more than their own fans would prefer. Still, they collected 16 made threes on the evening, schooling the Knicks at their own long-distance game.

The "pace and space" values they like to reiterate will require more decisive shooting and accuracy next time around to provide Brunson with room to breathe and meaningfully threaten a top-shelf contender like the Thunder.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!