Knicks' Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle unfazed by heavier workload
Julius Randle, right, and Jalen Brunson. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
While the major trade the Knicks swung Saturday cleared out some of the clunky roster combinations for the team, providing a better fit alongside Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, it also had a another effect — for better or worse.
With RJ Barrett gone from the starting lineup and Immanuel Quickley gone as the backup point guard and second-unit spark plug, the Knicks have grown dependent on Brunson and Randle to carry a larger load in scoring and in minutes.
With their win over the Bulls on Wednesday, the Knicks improved to 2-0 since OG Anunoby joined the team and the starting lineup. Randle had 35 points and Brunson added 31 points and 13 assists. And with the second unit struggling to find a working combination, coach Tom Thibodeau knew he needed his stars on the floor.
Randle played 38 minutes, 36 seconds and Brunson played 38:19 before finally exiting with just over a minute to play. On Monday, it was 40:40 for Brunson and 36:19 for Randle, who scored 39 points against the Timberwolves. Brunson struggled with his shot that afternoon and scored 16 points but had a career-best 14 assists.
So until the Knicks make the next move — maybe more likely for a veteran backup point guard than the next star piece — can they handle the added burden?
“Yeah, I think we’ve seen that,” Thibodeau said. “Now it’s trying to also find rhythm for the second unit as well. I think they need a little bit of time and we’ll figure that out . . . We’ve just got to make simple plays right now. Keep it basic, trust each other, let the offense work for you and then create advantages for each other. When we do that, good things are going to come from it.
“I thought Jalen read the game really well. They were trying to get the ball out of his hands and then we started making simple plays. When we do that, it’s simple offense.”
And for Randle and Brunson, they insist that the additional work is simple, too.
“36, 40, 42,” Randle said of the minutes with a shrug, “The [stuff] is all the same to me.”
“My approach and all that stuff stays the same,” Brunson said. “Mentality, all that stuff stays the same.”
And if this is just the way it is — looking at 40 minutes every night the rest of the season — would it be the same?
“Yes,” he said.
While the issue of minutes usually raises a smirk from Thibodeau, neither player cared about the slight uptick. And while the Knicks gave up considerable offensive output in the players who departed, Brunson said that whatever needs to be done is what he’ll strive to do.
“Obviously, we have to put the ball in the basket or make plays for others, but we’re not really focusing on that,” Brunson said. “We’re focusing on the little things to make sure that we’re put in positions to win.
“We focus on a load of things. The offense and stuff comes naturally. It flows as easy. We’re not focused and thinking about it. We’re just thinking about how we can help our teammates and how we can be successful and impact the game without actually having to do that. So just doing the little things.”
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.
