Getty Jalen Brunson wants to prove himself to Knicks fans.
It’s no secret that New York Knicks fans are among the most diehard in all of the NBA, and that they haven’t experienced much success in recent decades.
After a dominant stretch in the ’90s where the team was competitive year in and year out, New York hasn’t really had a strong team since then. The Carmelo Anthony era was a fun one, but it didn’t bring a championship or Finals appearance to the franchise.
There is a lot of excitement for the team each year, and last year’s squad started with the fabled “Bing Bong” chant that led fans predicting playoffs in a season that ended with missing the play-in tournament.
Jalen Brunson is hoping to get things turned around for the fans’ sake, and he said as much in an interview with USA Today.
Brunson: They Deserve A Lot
Knicks fans have been through a lot of suffering, and they felt it in a big way after missing out on Donovan Mitchell, so they could use some hope.
“The fans, they deserve a lot,” he said. “They’re a die-hard fanbase. I’ve seen that for a very long time. I think, for me, the most important thing is to kind of just connect, give back, obviously play well, obviously play basketball and try to help the team win games.”
Brunson should certainly bring a bunch of excitement to the team as he solves a long-running problem for the team and that’s the point guard position. In a season that saw the Knicks rotate between Alec Burks and Kemba Walker, two players who have since been traded away, there’s really nowhere to go but up.
The point guard wants to prove himself to the fanbase by connecting and showing he’s a hard worker.
“But if can connect with the fanbase, if I can do things to kind of show them that, hey, I’m a hard-working guy, I’ll do whatever it takes to win, I’m never going to quite, (show) characteristics that kind of fit a New York person, that they work hard and never going to quit, they’re going to grind, I think that’s the starting point,” he said.
If there’s something fans appreciate, it’s hard working players who give it their all year in and year out.
Brunson Has His Work Cut Out For Him
The Knicks overachieved two seasons ago and made the playoffs, creating some unrealistic expectations for fans.
While him alone will bring a lot more steadiness to the point guard position, there’s still a lot of work to be done for the team to make it back to the playoffs.
Perhaps the biggest thing needed is a bounce back season for Julius Randle. Putting the team on his shoulders as an All-Star was a big reason why the Knicks finished as the fourth seed. He regressed last season and the team missed the playoffs as a result.
Brunson being signed will be able to help lessen the load Randle has to carry, and that can prove to be very beneficial for him going forward into his four-year extension.