Jalen Brunson grew up rooting for the Knicks, one of many eight groups his father, Rick, performed for in a nine-season NBA profession, and each Brunsons are aiming to take pleasure in success collectively after becoming a member of forces in New York.
The purpose guard performed at Madison Sq. Backyard in a Knicks uniform for the primary time Tuesday night time, and Brunson offered a glimpse of why he was signed to a four-year contract price $104 million in free company throughout a 117-96 win over the Pistons within the preseason opener for each groups. Brunson was organized and environment friendly, ending with 16 factors on 7-for-9 capturing. He additionally had 5 assists, one turnover and a plus-21 ranking over 20 minutes.
“It’s a preseason sport, nevertheless it’s a sport nonetheless, and I used to be making ready myself as if it was an actual sport,” Brunson mentioned after the sport. “That’s how I method each single sport.
“It was good. Comfortable we began off the preseason proper with a win, taking a step in the fitting path, however nonetheless plenty of issues we will enhance on. I’d somewhat study from a win than study from a loss, so simply proceed to get higher.”
RJ Barrett netted a team-high 21 factors and Julius Randle added 15 for the Knicks, who subsequent will play the Pacers at residence on Friday.
New backup middle Isaiah Hartenstein additionally nailed two 3-pointers and completed with eight factors, whereas Derrick Rose scored three in six minutes of restricted obligation off the bench. It was Rose’s first sport since final Dec. 16 after he underwent a number of ankle surgical procedures.
Cam Reddish suffered an ankle harm late within the first half and didn't return.
“A number of good issues, the beginning of the sport, and I preferred the way in which we began the third quarter, identical factor, the unselfishness, and it begins with [Brunson],” coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned. “When he will get us going and we will get stops and rise up the ground after which share the ball, then the sport turns into straightforward for everybody.”
Earlier Tuesday, the Knicks didn’t get a lot love within the NBA’s annual common managers survey, which wasn’t stunning as they had been coming off a 37-45 step-back season following a stunning return to the playoffs the earlier yr.
Brunson, whose father was added this summer season to Thibodeau’s teaching employees, was voted because the No. 3 greatest offseason acquisition within the NBA. However that signing wasn’t considered by the league’s GMs as almost sufficient to vault the Knicks into the projected top-six playoff positions within the Jap Convention. The picks for these groups are the Bucks, the Celtics, the 76ers, the Nets, the Warmth and the Cavaliers.
Cleveland ended up touchdown the Knicks’ major offseason goal, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, in a commerce with the Jazz weeks after Brunson was signed as a free agent in July.
“I don’t suppose we now have to decrease our expectations. I feel it begins with us within the locker room: How will we wish to take that data?” Brunson mentioned. “Deep down we all know persons are doubting us. How can we show to ourselves we’re the kind of staff we wish to be?”
Brunson was the lone change to the beginning 5 from final season, and he mentioned he has been studying about his fellow projected starters Barrett, Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Evan Fournier.
Requested what he hoped to get out of his preseason enjoying time, Brunson mentioned: “Precisely that, attending to know the blokes somewhat extra, a really feel, a rhythm, simply constructing chemistry. … That is our first step.”
Brunson acquired the largest ovation throughout pregame introductions and he responded with a robust first quarter, hitting three of his first 4 photographs and totaling six factors and three assists over the primary 9 minutes. Brunson additionally drew three costs.
Second-year guard Miles McBride registered three of his six steals within the first half. The Knicks carried a 65-53 lead into intermission and didn’t look again.
“Look, it’s the primary preseason sport, so we’re not gonna get carried away,” Thibodeau mentioned. “There’s plenty of issues we now have to scrub up and get higher at, nevertheless it’s a very good first step. It provides us a baseline of the place we're. And there’s plenty of work for us to do going ahead.”
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