The New York Knicks scored a huge victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, beating the top team in the NBA, 118-109.
They are now on the verge of claiming the second seed in the Eastern Conference right before the start of the playoffs.
They are definitely looking good, but are they relying on Jalen Brunson too much?
That is what Alan Hahn is worried about.
On Friday’s “Get Up,” the analyst said that the team has to “figure out how to survive the minutes without Jalen Brunson in playoff games.”
.@alanhahn says the Knicks’ biggest concern is how much they rely on Jalen Brunson 👀
“They’ve got to figure out how to survive the minutes without Jalen Brunson in playoff games.” pic.twitter.com/jcnHaqV5Pz
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 12, 2024
Hahn claimed that any team with true championship aspirations has always had a second scorer, a reliable number-two star who could be counted on.
The Knicks do not have that, he said.
Instead, the team turns to Brunson often, perhaps too often.
No one can blame the Knicks for putting such a heavy load on Brunson’s shoulders because he has been so sensational this season.
He has averaged 28.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists on 48.1% from the floor in his second year with New York.
Those are incredibly strong numbers and have led to a 48-32 record.
There are other talented players on the team and they have their deepest roster in years, especially with the recent addition of OG Anunoby.
But Brunson is still clearly the team’s biggest star, and that could spell trouble for New York in the days and weeks ahead.
During Thursday’s game, Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 points, while Josh Hart posted 16, Bojan Bogdanovic recorded 14, and Anunoby put up 12.
Those are also helpful numbers, but would they be enough to earn a victory if Brunson wasn’t playing?
Can the team find ways to claim crucial wins without their lead star during the postseason?
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