The Knicks wouldn’t be here without Jalen Brunson.
But they just might be better with him off the court in this NBA Finals.
The Knicks have been outscored by 13 points in 110 minutes with Brunson on the floor through three games against the Spurs, a jarring development for a team built around its star point guard’s playmaking.
Brunson is still putting up plenty of volume, but he’s struggled against a tough San Antonio defense with a stable of athletic guards and wings to throw at him.
Heading into Game 4, Brunson is shooting just 37 percent overall and 31.8 percent from 3-point land.
Turnovers have been an issue as well, with Brunson giving the ball up at least four times in all three games.
Outside of his 27.3 points per game, Brunson’s impact on the offensive end has been limited, having dished out just 13 total assists thus far in the Finals.
Brunson’s defense, which has never been a strength of his game, has been a problem as well.
His 110.8 defense rating is the third-worst among players with at least 15 minutes per game played in this series.
The Knicks’ thrilling Game 2 win overshadowed what was a rough performance from Brunson, who was a minus-10 while shooting just 7-for-25 from the field with 20 points.
He was a Knicks starter worst minus-9 in Monday’s Game 3 loss with 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting.
Brunson admitted after the game that the Knicks’ offense could be better, especially down the stretch.
“I liked some of the looks, but I also think we were pretty stagnant. There’s definitely things that we can learn from,” Brunson said of the fourth quarter.
“Especially with our approach when we start the game and with the way we start the half, I don’t think we did well and I don’t think I did well either.”
