Knicks' Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns taking same Kobe-Shaq path
11/21/2024 02:10 AM
The New York Knicks may not have hit the ground running like many envisioned they would following their blockbuster offseason acquisitions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, but they are starting to put it together. On Wednesday night, the star tandem of Towns and Jalen Brunson at the Knicks’ point of attack was firing on all cylinders, as they combined for 70 points on 24-40 shooting from the field in a 138-122 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Towns has been every bit as good as advertised despite having to adjust to a new environment with the Knicks, as following his 34-point outing against the Suns, he’s now averaging 26.8 points and 12.2 rebounds per game — emerging as the team’s most consistent offensive weapon. But Brunson, after a shaky start to the campaign, has been trending up as of late, and with that latest performance, he’s now at 25.2 points per contest.
Now, both Towns and Brunson are on pace for a feat that no other duo in the NBA has accomplished since the 2002-03 season. According to StatMamba on X (formerly known as Twitter), the Knicks’ star duo is on pace to become the first guard/center tandem since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to average 25 points per game.
This is exactly what the Knicks envisioned when they brought in Towns at the expense of crucial depth pieces such as Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Returning to his natural position at center, Towns is back to putting up monster numbers on a nightly basis, with Brunson now doing his part to fuel the team’s elite offense that currently ranks second in points scored per 100 possessions.
And after a bit of an uneven start to the season, the Knicks have now climbed to three games above .500 with a 9-6 record. For all the panic surrounding the Knicks earlier this season, it does look right they are finding themselves at the moment.
The Knicks’ offense is close to unstoppable
The Knicks’ offensive output of 122.1 points per 100 possessions has come as a result of all five of their core players knowing what to do with the ball in their hands. Much has been written about the elite scoring of both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, but it’s not as if Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are slouches with the ball either.
Their defense, however, has a lot of room to improve. They currently rank 22nd in defensive rating, allowing 115.6 points per 100 possessions, but that should improve especially when Mitchell Robinson returns.
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