Getty Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks is defended by Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic.
The New York Knicks find themselves treading water at the moment as they currently sport a 5-5 record and are slotted in as the seventh seed within the conference standings.
After enduring such a lackluster campaign in 2021-22, 2022-23 is hoped to be a much-needed bounce-back season for Tom Thibodeau’s squad, and, though they may not have that highly-coveted star player guiding them forward, their rotation is seemingly littered with quality talents and high-potential players.
From promising young prospects like RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin to established veterans such as Julius Randle the Knicks roster quite a few intriguing options within their arsenal that, on any given night, can show out and be a driving force in a game.
However, according to NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, one player, in particular, deserves the moniker of “top dog” when it comes to New York’s pecking order.
In a November 8 episode of the “What’s on Tap with Tommy Beer” podcast, the current ESPN analyst and former Knicks coach discussed the talent pool that this organization currently possesses, and noted that free agency acquisition, Jalen Brunson, is performing like their best asset on the hardwood.
“[Jalen] Brunson’s by far their best player,” Van Gundy said. “He’s really good and is going to make a huge difference when they’re able to attract high-quality top-50 type talents.”
Since signing a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks this past offseason the point guard has been an incredibly efficient and much-needed stable presence at the game’s most important position.
Through 10 contests played, the 26-year-old finds himself posting impressible averages of 19.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on 50.7% shooting from the floor whilst leading all starters in box plus-minus (2.6) and offensive box plus-minus (2.3).
Knicks Need More Than Brunson
Despite his high praise of the point guard, Van Gundy would continue by stating that while Brunson may be the best player on the Knicks, as far as the rest of the league goes he’s far from being considered elite and, when it comes to vying for playoff contention, this could be viewed as a serious problem.
“[The Knicks are] one of those teams that, what, Brunson’s their best player [and] he’s probably a top-60 player in the league, top-75 player,” Van Gundy said.
“He’s damn good. They’re fortunate to have him, but they just don’t have that star to take over games and you’ve seen it in Milwaukee when Giannis [Antetokounmpo] just ran roughshod on them.
“You need those guys if you’re ever going to be a serious playoff threat where you can make a run.”
Though New York may already have some serious salary restraints that could, in theory, infringe on any potential future pursuits of a top-billed star via free agency, considering their treasure trove of draft capital coupled with their several young and promising prospects, should the front office wish to trade for an established star at some point down the road they could very easily piece together an enticing deal to do so.
Knicks to Play Toppin with Randle More
With the recent knee injury to starting center Mitchell Robinson that will have him sidelined for at least a week, head coach Tom Thibodeau is now tasked with trying to fill his 7-foot sized hole within New York’s frontcourt and, to some, this could wind up leading to an increase in playing time for third-year big, Obi Toppin.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks are likely to “mix and match” their starters while Robinson recovers, which, in turn, should lead to an uptick in lineups involving the recent lottery pick and fellow big, Julius Randle.
“What [the absence of Robinson] means is the Knicks are going to be going small more,” Begley said on the November 5 episode of “SportsNite.” “You’re going to see [Julius] Randle and Obi Toppin, the lineup with those two at [power forward and center].
“If you’re a fan of that lineup [and] you wanted to see more of it coming into this season, you should see more of that now,” Begley said.
Throughout their tenures in New York together, Randle and Toppin have not shared much time on the court. In 2020-21, they played as a tandem on just 85 possessions, with that number going up to 209 last season, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Currently at 55 possessions together this season, it seems as though they are projected to far surpass that number.