Getty Jalen Brunson dribbling against the Washington Wizards.
The New York Knicks found a way to win against a struggling Washington Wizards team on January 18. New York didn’t play its best game, but it’s also an indication of how much better this team is than they have been in the past. Former Knicks teams would’ve dropped this game, allowing the now 7-33 Wizards to win their 8th game of the season.
Instead, Jalen Brunson decided that he’d go home with the win. After dropping 41 points and playing 40 minutes, Brunson once again proved why he deserves to be in the conversations of the best guards in basketball. If he’s not an All-Star this season, it’d be a major issue. He’s clearly been one of, if not, the best guard in the Eastern Conference. Isaiah Hartenstein jokingly spoke about Brunson being named an All-Star after the Knicks won, saying the following, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post.
“He’s an All-Star. Just make sure he’s in Indiana or we’re going to riot a little bit. We might have to all pull up to Indiana,” Isaiah Hartenstein said.
Are Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle Enough?
There are two questions that remain for the Knicks this season. The biggest one is who they’re going to add during the trade deadline. As for the second question, we won’t know the answer to it until we see the first one answered.
The second question is if the New York Knicks can compete with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Are Julius Randle and Brunson good enough to take down these two star-studded rosters?
Stan Van Gundy told Steve Serby of the New York Post that he’s unsure if they can take down the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.
“Brunson and Randle are good players, but are you taking Brunson and Randle over [Joel] Embiid and [Tyrese] Maxey? Are you taking them over [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown? Are you taking them over [Damian] Lillard and Giannis [Antetokounmpo]? You’re not, you’re just not. So I think they’re still on the outside. They certainly have a chance if things go right, but you would need a lot of things to align correctly for them to have a run.”
Brunson is all about winning
Brunson fits exactly what the Knicks are all about. When he’s on the court, he’s not worried about scoring 40 points. If he has to, he will, but he’s always going to do what it takes for his team to win. After the win, he spoke about how the confidence his coaches and teammates have in him has helped him be the winning player he is, according to the New York Post.
“Whatever it takes to win. Teammates and coaches have confidence in me, and I have confidence in them. We just want to win. Whatever it is, whatever needs to be done,” Brunson said. “It’s the end of the game; you’re trying to win. It’s a little different, but the approach stays the same. I gotta have the same attacking mindset, but I also gotta be smart. You gotta know time, score and situation. It’s a little different but not that much.”