Why Jalen Brunson can be even better in New York

What volition Brunson's stats look similar this play present that he's moved to Gotham to beryllium the starting constituent defender for the New York Knicks? To get an idea, we should look astatine what helium produced for the Mavericks past season... but with a twist.

Brunson is coming disconnected the champion play of his career, playing successful Dallas. As a full-time starter for the archetypal time, helium acceptable caller idiosyncratic bests crossed the committee with 16.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.2 3PG and 0.8 SPG portion shooting 50.2 FG%/37.3 3P%/84.0 FT% successful 31.9 MPG.

While those numbers are precise solid, they don't bespeak what we should expect from him connected the Knicks due to the fact that the circumstances with the Mavericks are truthful antithetic from what they'll beryllium with his caller team.

Last season, Brunson played with 1 of the astir ball-dominant players successful the NBA. Luka Doncic, who led the league successful Usage Percentage (USG%) the 2nd consecutive season, had everything connected the Mavericks ran done him.

As such, erstwhile Doncic (37.4 USG%) was connected the court, Brunson (21.9 USG%) was a secondary facilitator and much of a finisher than a creator. His accumulation was capped, due to the fact that helium conscionable didn't person the shot successful his hands.

That said, his accumulation took a large displacement whenever Doncic was unavailable. In 17 regular play games without Doncic past season, Brunson averaged 20.4 PPG, 7.5 APG and 3.9 RPG. This, then, is simply a amended starting constituent for what Brunson's numbers mightiness look similar with the Knicks this season.

Julius Randle was the superior discourtesy creator for the Knicks past play and led the squad with a 28.7 USG%, but this play Brunson should instrumentality implicit that role. He'll beryllium tasked with mounting the array and mounting up casual shots for his teammates, but he'll besides beryllium the subordinate with the shot successful his hands that tin look for his ain shot.

We besides got to spot the high-end of Brunson's accumulation imaginable erstwhile helium is truly assertive successful his discourtesy instauration for a agelong during the playoffs past season. When Doncic missed the archetypal 3 games of the playoffs, the Mavericks truly leaned connected Brunson arsenic their violative engine. He responded by averaging 32.0 PPG (50.7 FG%, 41.2 3P%, 85.0 FT%), 5.3 APG, 5.3 RPG and 2.3 3PG successful 39.4 MPG portion starring his squad to 2-1 bid pb implicit the 49-win Utah Jazz.

While nary 1 expects Brunson to mean anyplace adjacent this benignant of scoring measurement for a afloat season, the information that helium could bash truthful successful the playoffs against a beardown antiaircraft team, portion -- and this is cardinal -- maintaining his shooting percentages crossed the committee reflects precise positively connected the scaleability of his scoring ability.

Brunson didn't starting dropping 30 a crippled due to the fact that helium had an unsustainable blistery shooting streak for a fewer games, but alternatively ramped up to that benignant of measurement portion inactive taking and making the aforesaid shots helium usually takes, and doing truthful portion maintaining the aforesaid percentages.

So, what volition Brunson's stats look similar this play with the Knicks? I'm expecting him to mean astir what helium produced successful his regular play games without Doncic from past season. It's a beardown stat line, but it's not arsenic assertive arsenic what helium showed successful the postseason due to the fact that the Knicks bash person different talented violative players retired determination with him.

While neither Randle oregon RJ Barrett are apt to mean anyplace adjacent Doncic's league-leading usage, they are some susceptible of scoring 20 PPG and it'll beryllium portion of Brunson's occupation to marque definite they are afloat utilized.

Still, we cognize present that Brunson has that other gear, truthful if for immoderate crushed injuries onslaught the squad and Brunson is called upon to truly transportation the load, helium has the upside to ramp up into adjacent much elite production.

I person Brunson successful the top-25 of my preseason phantasy hoops rankings and expect him to person a peculiar play successful his archetypal run successful the Big Apple.