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The New York Knicks are off to a hot start this season and a big part of the early success is Jalen Brunson’s productivity.
The whole team is taking notice of the impact he’s having, and when asked about it after the win over the Charlotte Hornets on October 26, forward Cam Reddish had nothing but praise for the Knicks point guard.
“He’s been unbelievable since the day he got here,” Reddish told reporters. “I mean, so vocal. He just gives everybody confidence.
“He’s a great leader, a great person to be around,” he concluded.
With the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson was a beloved teammate but it was clearly Luka Doncic’s team. With his home now in New York, Brunson has a bigger role to take on and this might already be his team.
Reddish Looks Good
One of the biggest beneficiaries of having Brunson in town is Reddish himself. The preseason was a near disaster for Reddish, and with him not signing an extension with the Knicks before the deadline, restricted free agency awaits him after the season.
That means Reddish has to play well if he wants to keep his NBA career alive, and he’s been making the most of it in the absence of Quentin Grimes.
Through the small sample size of four games, Reddish is averaging 10 points per game on 53.3% shooting. He’s been playing over 20 minutes a game, partly due to Grimes being out with an injury, but it’s going to put coach Tom Thibodeau in a tough spot because he’ll have to work Grimes back somehow.
With Reddish playing so well, it’ll be hard to just put him back at the end of the bench, so he’ll have to find some way to get both of them minutes. With there being a logjam of players vying for minutes, it’s definitely not a situation you want to be in.
Can Brunson Keep it Up?
If Brunson’s production keeps up like this, the Knicks should have no problems making it into the playoffs, but it’s far from a guarantee.
To start the year, he’s been everything the team has hoped for and more, which is to be expected with a $100 million contract. Brunson might find himself making that deal look like a bargain as the season goes on, and there are even fans who are sending him apologies for doubting him in the first place.
Brunson’s arrival has made everybody around him look better, something the great players have always been able to do. So far, Brunson has made it look easy, and once RJ Barrett breaks out of his shooting slump, the Knicks can be dangerous.
There’s still a long season ahead of them, and Brunson can’t be expected to shoulder the load like this for the duration, but that’s why he has help. Julius Randle looks much better this season compared to the last, so perhaps that “Mid 3” from the summer could end up being a “Big 3” by the time it’s all said and done.
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