After years of looking, the Knicks have lastly discovered two stars to construct round because the tandem of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Cities is a potent one-two punch.
Brunson and Cities are second in scoring (50.8 factors) amongst any duo within the NBA and each gamers had been named as All-Star starters within the Jap Convention. For perspective, it’s been half a century since New York had two All-Star starters when Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier completed the feat in 1975.
The Knicks have constructed an elite offense across the duo, one that’s ranked second in offensive effectivity by scoring 119.9 factors per 100 possessions. The offense has been a serious cause for New York’s 36-18 document on the All-Star break — tied for the fourth-best mark within the NBA.
Each All-Stars have put up jaw-dropping numbers this yr. Cities wrapped up his pre-All-Star break with two consecutive 40-point video games. The massive man already has 5 40-plus level nights this season and is second within the NBA in rebounds (13.4).
In the meantime, Brunson is not any slouch in statistics both. The guard is ninth within the NBA in scoring, averaging 26.1 factors, and has registered a minimum of 40 factors on three totally different events. This features a 55-point masterpiece towards the Washington Wizards in December.
When the Knicks made the commerce to ship Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a protected 2025 first-round choose to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Cities, it was clear that the mixture of Brunson’s scoring with Cities’ perimeter taking pictures had potential. The 2 stars have constructed up good chemistry collectively within the pick-and-roll.
As SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley highlighted in December, the Brunson and Cities pick-and-roll has given opponents bother. Cities’ perimeter taking pictures opens up all the things for New York’s offense and has allowed Brunson slightly more room to assault one on one.
Nonetheless, the place Cities has helped probably the most is when Brunson will not be on the ground. Final yr’s Knicks crew typically struggled to attain when the purpose guard was on the bench. In 497 minutes with Cities on the ground and Brunson on the bench, the Knicks are outscoring opponents by 15.7 factors per 100 possessions, in accordance with PBP Stats.
Uneven protection
Protection will all the time stay the central query with Cities and Brunson because the featured gamers on a crew. Neither participant is a good particular person defender. Brunson is 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan so there’s solely a lot of a constructive influence on the defensive finish he can have. Cities is sufficient in some matchups, however his lack of lateral motion and lack of ability to protect out on the perimeter may cause points on the defensive finish.
The Knicks have tried to place a robust nucleus of defenders round Cities and Brunson. The membership has three high quality defenders on the wing in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. There are additionally rotation items like Treasured Achiuwa and Miles McBride who’re stable defenders.
The protection this season has been modest at greatest. New York is tied for seventeenth in defensive effectivity, yielding 113.9 factors per 100 possessions. One hope is that the injured Mitchell Robinson — who has but to play this season — could make an influence as a rim protector and defensive rebounder.
The weaknesses on protection have usually proven up on the biggest levels, towards the elite groups within the NBA. Stars like Boston Celtics ahead Jayson Tatum and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have appeared to contain Brunson or Cities in each pick-and-roll state of affairs. We’ve even seen different stars resembling Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Younger and Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham quick circuit the Knicks’ protection by involving Brunson and Cities’ defensive task as a screener.
Each gamers have struggled towards the fixed weight of being picked on relentlessly at occasions. That’s not an issue that can go away anytime quickly. If the Knicks are matched up with an elite pick-and-roll participant within the postseason, the crew goes to have to determine an answer.
Regardless of these considerations, the Brunson and Cities mixture has gotten off to a robust begin in Yr 1. There’s nonetheless room for enchancment, and with each gamers signed to long-term offers, it would maintain the Knicks in rivalry for a minimum of the following few years.
