It appears that the Knicks have already encountered a significant obstacle during the Eastern Conference Finals this year. Despite being favored to win, the team was shockingly shut down by the Indiana Pacers, who beat out the Knicks’ three wins with four of their own. Many fans have been blaming Jalen Brunson for this disappointment. Still, the truth of the matter may go beyond being one person’s fault.
Baron Davis, a former point guard, had a lot to say about the game during a podcast appearance, where he essentially defended Jalen’s performance against the Pacers. Baron points out that the Pacers have a certain play style that puts immense pressure on the backcourt. Jalen, being the one to play both defense and offense, took its toll and left the player burnt out in the later stages of the series. Jalen did well in terms of point average and assists, but he couldn’t keep up all by himself. It was a battle of attrition, and the Pacers were ready for that.
As Baron Davis suggested during the podcast, another point guard would do the Knicks a great deal of good, as it would lessen the pressure on Jalen and keep the opponents more on the defensive. The Knicks have shown that they are not yet done with adding and replacing players in their lineup, so it would be a good time to search for another point guard. In the end, Jalen did as well as anyone would expect him to do, and he could achieve more if he had another person to rely on.
