Knicks arrive for upcoming season with something to prove
Jalen Brunson of the Knicks answers questions on media day at the training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y., on Sept. 26, 2022. Credit: Errol Anderson
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The Knicks arrived for their version of media day on Monday, lacking the outside expectations of most teams and the drama that accompanied many others (hello, Brooklyn). But almost to a man, they also arrived with a chip on their shoulders.
Jalen Brunson was thrilled to be with the team but called his free-agent summer “awful,” unhappy that his job search was so public. RJ Barrett, armed with a new contract, said, “I have everything to prove. That’s my mindset and I definitely think we’re going to shock the world.” Derrick Rose not only was healthy but showed up for his media session shirtless, showing off his 20-pound weight loss and joking — or not joking — about being pushed by Tom Thibodeau.
Barrett and Julius Randle hope to prove last season’s struggles were an aberration, and the arrival of Brunson and return to health of Rose might just be their best hope. In Brunson, the Knicks have a true floor general — a two-time NCAA champion who helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals last season. And in Rose, Brunson’s childhood idol, they have a player determined to show that after struggling with injuries last season, he is back in form.
“Jalen has been a point guard his whole life,” Barrett said. “He knows what to do. You saw it in that Utah series [when Luka Doncic was sidelined and Brunson took over]. You saw what he could do. [He’s] been a winner. He won at Villanova . . . But he really does know what he’s doing out there and we trust him out there and we already trust him.”
“It’s great. Obviously, those guys will get us started,” Randle said. “They’re our point guards. They get us into everything. They’re a huge voice on the court, so I’m really excited to have those guys on the Knicks. Me and [Rose] had great chemistry last year and even more so the year before, so I’m always excited to suit up and get on the court and play with [Rose]. He’s a special, special talent. And obviously, we know what Jalen brings to the game and what he will bring to our team and in the offseason workouts. And just getting to know each other and stuff like that, it’s been great.”
“I’m not a savior in any way, shape or form,” Brunson said. “I just want to be able to contribute to a team, try to help this team win games. I like the group. Can’t wait to build more chemistry with these guys, see what really we can unlock and unleash.”
The Knicks dipped from the No. 4 seed in 2020-21 to an 11th- place finish last season. That created an uncertain summer, filled with rumors and trade talk.
Barrett signed a four-year contract extension, but not until the team failed to swing a trade for Donovan Mitchell — with some proposed packages that included Barrett. Randle, a year after making second-team All-NBA and getting his own contract extension in New York, was shopped, too.
Not surprisingly, the struggles caused a push for a makeover in New York, but the players involved shrugged off the trade talk and focused on getting back to the playoffs.
“You always feel like you have something to prove or whatever it is — prove to yourself, doesn’t matter,” Randle added. “But I treat it all the same and just try to come in the next year better than I was the year before. A better person, better teammate, whatever it is.’’
“Personally, anyone who is close to me will tell you, I literally didn’t pay attention to any of it,” Barrett said. “Just for my own sanity. I’m a big believer in whatever happens happens. I played my three years. I did everything I could for my team, did everything for myself. Put my heart and blood and tears into it. Whatever happened, I was going to be OK with. Gave everything I got. I wasn’t really worried . . .
“Getting a taste of what the playoffs are like, falling short in that, and to not end up where we wanted to last year, I think we’re coming with even more experience, even more hungry, a lot of guys with something to prove, myself included. I have everything to prove. That’s my mindset and I definitely think we’re going to shock the world.”
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.
