Knicks' Jalen Brunson gets strange prediction on role in New York's offense

Jon Conahan

Knicks' Jalen Brunson gets strange prediction on role in New York's offense image

The New York Knicks' decision to hire Mike Brown wasn't the wrong one, but it was a bit interesting to fire Tom Thibodeau for him. Regardless of the optics behind it, it was the decision the Knicks made, and all the front office, players, and fan base can hope for is that things work out. 

However, as the Knicks now look to learn a new system, there could be some changes. 

According to Atticus O’Brien-Pappalardo, that might impact Jalen Brunson. He noted that Brunson might not have the ball in his hands as much as he has over the past two years, something the Knicks will have to figure out internally. 

“One of the few things we know about Mike Brown's plans for the Knicks' offense is that he wants to speed things up and space things out, something that has already been reflected in their summer league play. For Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson, that could mean a shift away from on-ball dominance and an increase in off-ball actions,” he wrote.

MORE: Ex-Knicks player says team needs 'help' for Jalen Brunson

While there can always be an argument that a star player taking too many touches is an issue for an offense, especially if the ball doesn't move around much, there's also another side of that argument that suggests that Brunson needs to keep the ball in his hands as much as he can. 

While the Knicks' offense could be better if they move the basketball more, there have been many moments where they simply need Brunson to go out and get a bucket.

As long as Brown continues to allow him to do that, the Knicks should be in a fine spot. 

However, if the idea is to remove many touches from him, it might not be the best approach.

Jon Conahan

Jon Conahan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A 2022 Penn State University graduate who majored in journalism, he was also a member of the school's D1 baseball team. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Heavy and other outlets. Jon makes home in North Jersey, but also resides in Cape Coral, Florida, for parts of the year. He’s an avid fan of the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins and Milwaukee Bucks.