Getty Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
After securing a victory over the Washington Wizards on April 2, the New York Knicks officially clinched a playoff spot.
When speaking to the media following the game, Jalen Brunson discussed the importance of making the postseason but also declared that the Knicks have a lot of work to do if they want to progress beyond the first round.
“It’s a great feeling, it’s something you strive for. You want a chance to compete. The fact that we get to further on our season is great. But we still have a lot of work to do.”
– Jalen Brunson
“Yeah, it’s a great feeling,” Brunson said. “It’s something you strive for. You want a chance to compete. The fact that we get to further on our season is great but we have a lot of work to do.”
Brunson played 39 minutes against Washington, scoring 27 points, dishing out 8 assists, grabbing 3 rebounds, and securing 3 steals while shooting 55% from the field on 11-of-20 shooting and 33.3% from the perimeter.
With such a heavy minutes load, it’s clear that head coach Tom Thibodeau is already begging to ramp up towards the post-season and is ensuring his core player’s conditioning is where it needs to be.
Tom Thibodeau Sounds Off on Load Management
Throughout his career as a head coach, Thibodeau’s minutes’ management has often come under scrutiny. However, when discussing the heavy workload some Knicks players undertook on April 2, Thibodeau gave an insight into how he’s currently distributing minutes.
“For us, we’re in, but there’s still something at stake,” Thibodeau added. “So, if someone is nicked up, they’re not going to play, but we need to keep playing. We want to be playing our best going in [the playoffs]. So, we’re young, and we still have a lot [of room] for improvement. We’re not there yet. If everything were locked up, then maybe we would consider that. But there are still things that we can still get done.”
The Knicks have now made the playoffs twice in the last three years under Thibodeau and will be hoping to progress beyond the first round as they look to give their young roster some invaluable playoff experience.
The Knicks remain fifth in the Eastern Conference following their latest win, 3 games behind the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and 2.5 games ahead of the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets.
Josh Hart Excited to Experience The Playoffs
Since entering the NBA in 2017, Josh Hart has missed out on the postseason every year until this one. When speaking to the media after New York had confirmed their playoff spot, Hart spoke of his excitement in experiencing both the playoffs and the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden during high-stakes games.
“It’s cool [to make the playoffs finally],” Hart said. “So I’m extremely excited personally because, obviously, that’s something that I wanted to do. I can’t wait to see the Garden rocking during that time.”