The New York Knicks have simplified the game for Jalen Brunson in a way that's made him truly unpredictable. It's hardly a nightly development, but New York has effectively enabled Brunson to focus on his scoring and make passing his teammates open less of a priority.
In the process, the Knicks have made Brunson even more difficult to defend by creating an offensive balance that has opposing teams on their heels.
The Knicks have won each of their past four games, with a 16-point victory during the first being the closest result from that time. Brunson tallied 19 points and three assists during the 114-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks that may look closer than it really was.
During his most recent outing, the Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 to take a 1-0 series lead behind Brunson's 35 points and three assists.
It must be noted that Brunson tallied eight assists during each of the two games that his three-assist performances bookended. What's become clear about the way the Knicks are playing, however, is that they've created more points of entry and made it even more difficult for opposing defenses to predict their intention.
With Karl-Anthony Towns leading the charge, the Knicks have begun to create action from just about every corner of the court. Brunson has inevitably taken over as a scorer.
Knicks accentuate scoring, alleviate playmaking burden from Jalen Brunson
Since the Knicks fell behind 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round, Towns has averaged 8.0 assists per game. That includes two outings with 10 assists and another two with six. During each of those outings, he's effectively become an offensive hub through whom New York can run its sets.
That's allowed Brunson to not only score with volume at 30.3 points per game, but shoot 62.3 percent from the field over the past three outings.
Brunson hasn't just been waiting for Towns to create for others, of course, as his mere presence has permitted the Knicks to make this change. He has as much gravity on the court as just about anyone in the NBA. When the ball comes the All-NBA point guard's way, all eyes are on him and opposing defenses inevitably shift to account for his uncanny ability to break defenders down and score at all three levels.
That inevitably simplifies the game for the Knicks at large, as the attention Brunson commands translates to off-ball scenarios and creates openings for his teammates.
The harsh reality, however, is that running an offense as a primary facilitator is a task unto itself. Combining that obligation with also operating as a team's go-to scorer and closer creates an uphill battle for superstars who have human limitations, super as they may seem.
What the Knicks have thus accomplished with Brunson is the creation of a system that allows him to play up to his potential as a scorer by picking his spots as a playmaker and trusting his teammates.