Team-First Mentality
The beauty of Jaron Blossomgame’s offensive game is that he knows his role and doesn’t try to play outside of his comfort zone. His first instinct is to play for the team, which means passing to open teammates, setting screens, and moving without the ball.
On the defensive end of the floor, Blossomgame not only commits to covering his own assignment, but willingly helps his teammates.
Those may seem like basic basketball instincts, but it’s significantly harder to find team-first players than it should be. That’s no more true than on the offensive end of the floor, where most players are anxious to put up big numbers.
Blossomgame is capable of producing at respectable levels, and every player has some measure of an ego, but his approach is all about the team.
In 2016-17, one could argue that New York’s primary issue on offense was having a surplus of players who wanted to finish every possession. It ranked No. 19 in assists per game and No. 3 in isolation possessions—an unhealthy balance.
Blossomgame won’t single-handedly transform the Knicks’ offense or defense, but he’s the type of player whom teams can healthily build with.