Cade Cunningham has had the Knicks’ quantity. However Jalen Brunson holds the reply key.
And for a Knicks group strolling into its first-round playoff sequence with a 1-3 file in opposition to the Detroit Pistons, Brunson’s dominance undermines the ultimate tally.
Sure, Detroit took the regular-season sequence. However New York wasn’t complete for any of these matchups — and nonetheless, the Pistons by no means discovered how you can decelerate the Knicks’ All-Star level guard at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Now the stakes are increased, the lights are brighter — and Brunson continues to be the check Detroit hasn’t handed. And in the event that they nonetheless haven’t figured it out now, the Knicks’ All-Star captain received’t simply beat them — he’ll bury the Pistons earlier than their postseason ever will get began.
Brunson averaged 28.5 factors per recreation in opposition to the Pistons in 4 regular-season contests. He dropped 36 factors on 14-of-22 taking pictures in a 30-point rout on Nov. 1 — the Knicks’ lone win within the sequence — and scored 31 factors in two of their three losses. His solely off-night got here on April 10, simply his third recreation again from a month-long proper ankle damage. He scored 15 factors on 5-of-15 taking pictures within the entrance finish of a back-to-back.
Nonetheless, Brunson instructions consideration. And Detroit is aware of it.
“You just have to make it difficult. He makes tough shots,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stated forward of Sport 1 at The Backyard on Saturday. “He is, in my opinion, one of the best winners that this league has currently playing — but it just can’t be easy, right?”
Detroit spent the week combing by way of movie of Brunson’s tendencies, hoping to seek out even the slightest edge.
“Like, you know his first move. You got to try to eliminate his first move,” Bickerstaff continued. “You’ve bought to make him a shot-taker and never get to the free throw line — small issues like that.
“But again, we know who he is. Obviously [we] have that respect for him, but we just have to make it a challenge to be as physical as we can without fouling, limit his touches, try to keep him from his sweet spots and all those things.”
The plan? Unleash Ausar Thompson — Detroit’s second-year swingman and 94-foot irritant — as Brunson’s major defender.
Thompson, who many believed was snubbed from the All-Rookie groups, has a 7-foot wingspan, elite athleticism, and the sort of defensive chew that’s turned heads across the league. He’ll attempt to hound Brunson the complete size of the ground, very similar to Nic Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andrew Nembhard tried final postseason.
That plan didn’t work final 12 months with an injury-ravaged Knicks group. And if Brunson is again in rhythm after rehabbing his ankle, it’s a steep hill to climb once more.
Brunson averaged 35.5 factors per recreation in final season’s first-round win over the Sixers, then 29.7 within the second spherical in opposition to the Pacers. However this 12 months’s Knicks aren’t counting on his scoring fairly the identical means.
With Karl-Anthony Cities and Mikal Bridges now within the combine, the Knicks consider Brunson received’t have to hold the identical burden — even when he’s totally able to doing so.
“Last year in playoffs, Jalen was such an offensive force — with guys getting to step up lately and pieces added, not load on his shoulders this time? Every year is different. I think you have to understand that,” stated Tom Thibodeau. “And what does the group want from you? You use from that standpoint, which he has finished. He can transfer in numerous totally different instructions. That’s the good worth of him.
“You can play him on the ball, off the ball. You can use him as a playmaker, as a scorer. You can play him in the post, you can play him in pick and roll, you can play him in catch and shoot. He scores in three different levels. There’s a lot of different things that puts a lot of pressure on the defense, and he creates easy offense for people.”
The Pistons are bodily. They’re deep. They’ve tripled their win depend from final season and consider they’ve bought a shot.
But when they don’t remedy Brunson, none of that may matter. Particularly if the captain’s bought the ball in his fingers with the sport on the road.
“It’s just something that he thrives in,” stated Josh Hart. “He loves big moments and that’s something that he loves. It’s something that we’re extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands in those moments. He has that confidence because he puts the work in.”
