Getty Jalen Brunson is the new point guard in town.
The big move of the offseason for the New York Knicks was signing Jalen Brunson, and while he’s a clear upgrade over last year’s unit of Kemba Walker and Alec Burks, not everybody is a firm believer.
Brunson has already shown off what he can bring to the table through three preseason games, and he’s certainly capable of running the show over the course of the season. However, ESPN’s Tim Legler doesn’t believe him to be the player the team is looking for in hopes of taking the Knicks to the promised land.
In a segment on NBA Today, Legler dove into potential difference makers in league this season, and he was very hesitant in naming Brunson as one.
Legler Has Doubts
Brunson was the big signing that opened up the free agency period, and he’s going to be a big loss for the Dallas Mavericks. Despite that, it’s not looking he’s going to be somebody who will be enough to get New York back into the playoffs, at least according to Legler.
“While he is an upgrade at the point guard position, I don’t think he will necessarily be a difference maker for the New York Knicks,” he said.
That was something the Knicks were likely aware of on the surface as they tried to couple this signing with the trade for Donovan Mitchell, but the former Jazz guard was eventually shipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This leaves the Knicks without a true “star” on the roster, but it also leaves them with one of the deepest teams in the NBA. The NBA is a star-powered league and you’ll be hard-pressed to see a team win a title without the services of at least one.
Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle could all flash star talent on any given night, but they don’t do it consistently.
Legler says Brunson isn’t somebody who is can get the Knicks over the hurdle into a true contender.
“He isn’t the type of explosive talent that can dominate consistently in a way that would propel the Knicks to contender status.”
Knicks Have a Battle Ahead
The thing that will be difficult for the Knicks is not really anything they can control. The reality is they are in a deep Eastern Conference where improving to something like 42 wins would still mean they are a fringe play-in team and they would have to fight to earn a spot.
There’s no question this roster is upgraded from last season, but that isn’t enough for them to leap frog several teams and secure a higher seed. Seeds 7-10 will be play-in teams, and the Knicks will likely fall into that category in some way.
Of course, that would be a step up from last year as the Knicks finished 11th and didn’t get a chance to even compete in the play-in. Going into the season with a healthy Mitchell Robinson and Derrick Rose should help matters this season, but there are still 82 games that need to be played.