Jalen Brunson intends to lead Knicks by example
Jalen Brunson #11 of the Knicks controls the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Knicks took to the road for the first time Wednesday, facing the Indiana Pacers as they worked their way toward opening night a week away. And while Jalen Brunson shrugs off any notion of added pressure as he has signed on as the prime acquisition, he has taken on the task of getting the team ready.
On the bright side, the Knicks built up an early lead behind Brunson and the starters. But their bench unit which had played well saw the Pacers turn the game around in the fourth quarter and hand the Knicks their first loss of the preseason, 109-100, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. A lesson was learned and the Knicks moved closer to the season with no injuries incurred and no drama off the court.
Brunson grew up for this, spending his childhood in locker rooms and NBA practice facilities with his father, Rick, a former Knicks player and now a coach on the team. Derrick Rose, who offered him advice as a high schooler when Rose was winning an MVP award in Chicago, is now his teammate and backup. And Tom Thibodeau, who was a coach in both places, now is the coach entrusting the leadership of the team to him.
“I’ve got to be a leader,” said Brunson, who had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. “I’ve got to be a leader. I’ve got to lead by example. I’ve got to lead vocally. I can’t miss a beat. If I miss a beat, that’s on me and I’m putting my team at a disadvantage.
“So I don’t have to be perfect. I’m not going to make every single shot, I’m not going to do all that stuff. I’m going to make mistakes. But it’s how do I respond to those mistakes, how do I respond to different situations.
Am I going to sulk? Or am I going to move on to the next play and have short-term memory and try to just be the best I can be the next play.”
So far, so good, with the Knicks chemistry blending well, but Brunson did not take a straight line path to this role and he knows that it won’t always be that way. The Knicks were 37-45 last season and while he is confident the team he joined is better than that, he also is aware that it won’t be easy.
“I think most importantly, we’re going to have to be together,” Brunson said. “Whether we’re up, whether we’re down, we’ve got to stick together. That’s going to help us persevere through the lows faster. That’s going to keep us from getting too up here [raises hand up]. We’ve got to be able to stay as even-keeled as possible. That’s how I’ve been and that’s how I want to present myself as a leader. I want everything to be good and bad — stay the same. I think that’s just my way of approaching it but I think that’s a good way of approaching it.”
With Brunson filling the gaping hole at point guard for the team the Knicks are expected to be better, his presence taking much of the responsibility off Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to create all of their own opportunities offensively. The Knicks, as Brunson’s fellow newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein noted Tuesday, don’t have a Kawhi Leonard, a star who can carry them. But they do have a solid starting unit and a deep bench. Hartenstein was a big part of that Wednesday with 7 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
They have hit no real speed bumps in the form of injuries or outside distractions so far. And Brunson said he isn’t surprised by what he has seen since arriving in New York.
“The only questions I’ve had are the simple things: how long is it going to take to get to the arena? Practice facility? Where am I going to live? All that stuff,” Brunson said. “But when it came to the team, I just had a feeling that these guys are going give it everything they have. So I have no questions about them, their work ethic, anything. So I’m just, I’m really happy to be a part of this. And I’m thankful that they’ve let me in here with open arms. They’re still teaching me as well. I’m trying to be a leader but at the same time, I need to listen to them. They’re trying to keep it that way. Like I said, I’m very, just, happy that this is the situation.”
Notes & quotes: Rose was held out for a rest night and Quentin Grimes missed his third straight game with a sore left foot … . . Cam Reddish got rotation minutes and miss his first five field goal attempts after going 1-for-7 Friday, but then hit three straight, finishing 3-for-10 for 10 points.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
