Jalen Brunson has made an All-NBA team in each of the last two years. This season, with improved spacing, we could see his driving game and signature floater utilized even more, propelling him to another level.
Tom Thibodeau has received a lot of slander over the last year. While he has his faults, he does deserve some acknowledgment here for helping to develop Brunson into the superstar that he has become.
That said, the faults that Thibodeau did have, mainly consisting of a failure to experiment with lineup combinations, often left the Knicks with sub-optimal spacing. This season, with more shooters on the roster and a coaching staff that appears more willing to lean into spacing, Brunson's game could hit another gear. At the very least, the looks he gets should be easier.
Drives to the paint
One of Brunson's signature shots is his floater. Last season, he took 218 of them according to league tracking data, which was good for the third-most in the league behind Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young. Out of the 33 players who took at least 100 floaters last season, Brunson had the ninth-highest point per shot average, at 1.06 points per shot.
If we change the parameters to drives starting above the 3-point line and ending with a shot in the paint, the list changes a lot. Mostly players who take lots of floaters. https://t.co/TyicJxdptC pic.twitter.com/e1cDdloKhd
— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) September 9, 2025
He has elite footwork and plays off of two feet, which allows him to routinely get to his spots on balance and hit tough shots. He has a fantastic blend of quickness and balance, which also allows him to beat players off of the dribble on drives and then either hit his floater on the move or stop on a dime.
Last season, he had the fifth-most drives starting outside of the 3-point line that ended with a field goal attempt being taken in the paint. Of the 10 players who took the most of those shots, Brunson had the highest points per shot at 1.11.
Increased spacing
This season, if Mike Brown opts to insert another shooter into the lineup in place of Josh Hart, it should open up even more driving lanes for Brunson. Not only will this give him more freedom to get to his shot in the paint, but it will open up lanes for him to get all the way to the rim as well.
Last season, Brunson had 77 drives starting outside of the 3-point line, which resulted in him getting a field goal attempt at the rim, which ranked 43rd in the league, according to league tracking data.