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Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title?
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- Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title?
NEW YORK — The NBA offseason can mean different things to different players. For the non-playoff teams, it was an early trip to the oft-joked-about sandy beaches of Cancun.
And for teams like the New York Knicks , the moment they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Indiana Pacers , it has been a painful four months of what ifs, what should have beens, and a surprising change at head coach.
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Never mind that the Knicks made the NBA's final four for the first time in a quarter of a century; the scapegoat for that success – or failure – to some, was Tom Thibodeau, who was let go after five years at the helm .
"It's sad to see a man I've known for a long time part ways with this organization, but he's meant a lot to me. I've expressed that to him, publicly and personally. But yeah, he's meant a lot to my career to this point." All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said about Thibodeau during the team's media day .
Thibodeau was replaced by two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown , who has also coached the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Sacramento Kings , and served as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors , winning three NBA Championships.
Brown brings a different philosophy than Thibodeau, who maximized his players' minutes, sometimes to the point of league-wide snickers about their usage.
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Last season's starting lineup – Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns , Mikal Bridges , Josh Hart and OG Anunoby – is back for another run, though that may not be the lineup you see when New York opens its season on Oct. 22 at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It will be up to Brown to put his stamp on the team, which might see the team hoisting more three-pointers and embracing a more up-tempo style than in years before.
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Fully-healed Brunson motivated by playoff loss
Brunson is the team's unquestioned leader, with the accolades to back it up: a second-team All-NBA selection, who was also named the league's Clutch Player of the Year.
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Don't let his listed height of 6-2 fool you, because Brunson, who says there are no setbacks and he is fully healed from a late-season ankle injury, can bang inside with the best of them, while getting his own shot anytime he wants.
However, it was the six-game defeat to the Pacers, who also eliminated New York in the 2024 playoffs, that has bothered Brunson and serves as extra motivation and a renewed focus for the new season. The Eastern Conference has suddenly become up for grabs, with no clear favorite, as Achilles injuries have sidelined Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton and Boston 's Jayson Tatum .
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during a playoff game at Madison Square Garden on April 19, 2025.
"I think for me personally, just nothing is going to be out of your mind. You got to think about it." Brunson told USA TODAY Sports last month, while he was promoting BodyArmor, a sports hydration drink. "You're gonna think about the good. It's all about how you use that to kind of prepare yourself for. You've got to have short-term memory."
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The 29-year-old Brunson, who averaged 26 points, a career-high 7.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 65 games last season, said his summer was uneventful, mainly concentrating on injury prevention, conditioning, and podcasting " The Roommates Show " with co-host Hart.
"For me. I don't like to take too much time off away from the game," Brunson said. "If I'm, like, working or doing anything to kind of improve myself. But, I think having a slow ramp-up into the offseason, for whenever you start, kind of helps build up physically and mentally. And so, just understanding where you 're at, where your body's at.
"I just try to make sure that I have my best foot forward and do what I can to ensure I'm putting my body in the best position to withstand a long season. I tried not to put that (injury concern) in my mind at all there are too many things that are unpredictable."
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Knicks' new philosophy starts and ends with Brunson
It is evident by the looks of him that Brunson comes into the season looking lighter, although he declined to say if he lost any weight at all.
"I'm not that much lighter, definitely more toned, and like that, but it's just important for me to get my body in the best shape possible I can, and go from there," he said.
What Brunson is saying could be the key to a different-looking Knicks, especially since Brown revealed his plans for his star, which might mean less wear and tear as he enters his eighth NBA season.
The Knicks, almost to a fault, did not rely heavily on the three-point shot, averaging only 34.1 attempts per game last season, but when they did shoot them, they made them at a 37% rate, ranking eighth in the league. What hurt them in some games, especially in the Indiana series, was keeping their opponents off the three-point line.
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Brown said the new philosophy in winning games starts and ends with Brunson.
"The biggest thing I want to do for him is get easy shots. One of the easiest shots is a spray three. I'm a big proponent of touching the paint and spraying that basketball for a catch-and-shoot three," Brown said.
Brunson is all for doing whatever it takes to bring the Knicks their first championship in 1973.
"My personal goals align with my team's goals," he said. "I don't think in my life I've ever had a personal goal where I needed to average a certain amount of points. It's not my style of basketball. And I don't think that's a winning style play either. I think of 'how can I affect my team's ability to win? And I can be the best version of myself.' "
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson ready to chase NBA title with new coach
