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The New York Knicks may have missed out on Donovan Mitchell this offseason, but they did manage to grab their number one target in Jalen Brunson to man their point guard position in the years to come.
Brunson is a big pick up and he’ll solve a problem the Knicks have had for years, and it was an acquisition that happened without having to give up any young assets or draft picks. Mitchell would’ve cost them a lot, and it might not have been worth it in the end, but the Knicks don’t have to worry about that anymore.
As it turns out, NBA general managers believe the Knicks did something good this summer by signing Brunson, and they named him as one of the players who’ll make the biggest impact.
GMs High on Brunson
Brunson was a star during the most recent Dallas Mavericks playoff run, and if he can keep up that kind of production, then this will end up being a huge deal for the Knicks.
NBA GMs already believe it to be a big move, but interestingly enough, they call the Mitchell pickup by the Cavaliers an even better one.
In a survey that asked GMs what the biggest impact acquisition will be, the majority of them answered with Mitchell, but Brunson got some love as well. Here’s how it all played out.
- Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland – 59%
- Rudy Gobert, Minnesota – 31%
- Jalen Brunson, New York – 7%
- P.J. Tucker, Philadelphia – 3%
Mitchell going to the Cavs makes them a top team in the Eastern Conference, so that’s likely why he ranks so highly. The addition of Brunson might not even be enough to get the Knicks into the playoffs outright, but a play-in spot should be in the cards.
That might be less of Brunson’s impact and more of how loaded the Eastern Conference is these days. It’s definitely much different than the one LeBron James dominated for much of the decade.
Teams like the Nets, Sixers, Celtics, Bucks, Heat and Cavs all look like near locks, which leaves teams like the Hawks, Knicks, Bulls and a few others also fighting for their playoff lives. The Bulls were the first seed in the conference at one point last season, so they might even be considered to a lock.
It’ll be a battle for the Knicks, and they’ll need a lot of things to work in their favor outside of the addition of Brunson.
Knicks are Improving
The Knicks picking up Brunson is a big improvement, but he’s not the only thing working for this roster.
RJ Barrett, fresh off signing a new contract extension, is ready to make another leap, and if that happens he might find himself representing New York on an All-Star team.
Julius Randle will be an X-factor as he was the team’s most recent All-Star, so he seems like the one most likely to make the team again, but he’ll have to up his efficiency to make that happen. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities, and if it happens then the Knicks should be in a good position.
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