Brunson’s Workload Grows as Knicks Juggle Rotation, Seeding Scenarios
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The New York Knicks fortified their roster at the trade deadline, yet point guard Jalen Brunson remains the club’s ironman. Entering Wednesday’s game against the Jazz, Brunson had logged an NBA-high 37.8 minutes per contest over the previous five outings, a stretch that followed a shooting dip in which he connected on under 43% of his attempts in three games and recorded back-to-back performances with only five made field goals.
Part of Brunson’s increased load stems from newcomer José Alvarado’s cold spell. The reserve guard’s recent shooting woes have cut into his minutes, prompting head coach Mike Brown to audition Jordan Clarkson and rookie Tyler Kolek in search of backcourt stability. “My career is about growth and getting better,” Kolek said. “I need to learn from every experience—good or bad—and just continue to improve.”
Wing Mikal Bridges is also navigating an offensive lull. Before Wednesday, the 27-year-old averaged 11.4 points while converting 34.1% of his three-pointers, down from his season marks of 15.2 points and 38.0% from deep. “Sometimes you try to get open and it doesn’t find me,” Bridges explained. “I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to win and stay aggressive.”
With three weeks left in the regular season, playoff positioning has become a focal point. Detroit appears out of reach for the top seed, leaving the Knicks targeting the No. 2, 3 or 4 slot. According to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, the fourth seed could prove advantageous because it would likely pair New York with Toronto in Round 1, a matchup the Knicks have controlled this year.
Defensively, New York has improved since the All-Star break, but the offense has slumped during the last 26 games, sliding from fourth to tenth in efficiency behind a surge of turnovers and inconsistent three-point shooting. “The right ingredients are still there,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We’ve given ourselves chances to win, we just haven’t shot well. We have to stay confident.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
