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At the start of free agency, point guard Jalen Brunson decided to spurn the Dallas Mavericks and join the New York Knicks to become their lead guard.
Brunson is a big pick up for the Knicks because he replaces Alec Burks who was playing out of position there last season. He brings playmaking and scoring to the position, something that any team wants out of their point guard, so it’s a major upgrade on that end.
While Knicks fans are happy to have him, Mavericks fans aren’t happy to see him go. Dallas head coach Jason Kidd is also somebody who would love to have him back in town.
Kidd wished Brunson well with the Knicks, but went into detail about the void he leaves behind with the Mavs.
“We Can’t Replace Him”
A talent like Brunson doesn’t come along all that often, and while the Mavs are more than likely going to be a playoff team yet again, they will miss Brunson’s presence.
“We wish him luck in New York,” Kidd said via Mavs.com report Dwain Price. “But we can’t replace him. We’re going to have to do it by committee because he brought so much to the table, not just on the court but off the court.”
Luka Doncic will likely have to take on a bigger scoring role, something that was already expected of him as he continues his development. Another way they’ll offset the loss of Brunson is the addition of big man Christian Wood. All in all, the Mavs will be fine.
What’s more interesting is how Brunson will fit in with the Knicks. He was the second-option at best in Dallas, but he has the chance to be the lead guy running the show in New York.
He’ll create a strong trio with himself, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle, but that alone might not be enough to get into the playoffs.
Brunson’s New Teammates Are Excited
Randle has spoken about how Brunson will help him as a player, and that has to be something Knicks fans are ready to see for themselves.
“I think it’ll be easier for me,” he said. “When you have to create a lot with the ball in your hands, it can be tough, because the defense has all eyes on you at all times. So for me, being able to get some things off the ball, whether it’s running the floor, pick and roll, cuts, offensive rebounds, stuff like that, I just think it’ll make the game easier for myself and I’ll be able to help my teammates more.”
Randle might be the biggest beneficiary of seeing a lead guard in town, so it’ll be interesting to see how things go for him. The Knicks could very well find themselves in playoff contention this season if Randle gets everything back on the right track.
Brunson will also have to continue the performance we last saw in the Mavericks playoffs run. If that happens, then things will be looking very good in New York.
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