In the immediate aftermath of Game 2, New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson found himself under fire from critics of his style of play. A crafty and shifty scorer who knows how to draw fouls, many accused him of placing too heavy of an emphasis on getting to the line.
Rather than responding with a defensive or indifferent mentality, Brunson has taken the criticism in stride as the Knicks prepare for a crucial Game 3.
Brunson was a rare source of offense for the Knicks in Game 2, accounting for 55 of their 94 points. That admittedly makes it difficult to criticize him, but as the end neared, it became difficult to overlook how focused he appeared to be on drawing fouls rather than taking the best shot.
Per SNY, Brunson took accountability and called the Knicks out for focusing too much on the referees and not enough on their own jobs and priorities.
It's refreshing to see Brunson taking accountability for the pandering to the referees that disrupted the Knicks' momentum and general quality of play.
Jalen Brunson acknowledges Knicks' hyperfocus on getting calls
The finger can be pointed at a number of players for the Game 2 loss, but Brunson is the face of the franchise. As such, the praise and the blame will be pointed in his direction, whether fair or foul—and, in this scenario, there's a degree of validity.
The key to succeeding in the playoffs, however, is learning from mistakes—and Brunson appears ready to do exactly that.
The promising news is that Brunson has produced 71 points and 15 assists through the first two games of the first-round series. Even if some question his foul-drawing techniques, he's buried 24 field goals already and dominated the fourth quarter in Game 1.
As such, it stands to reason that moving away from an arguably unhealthy focus on getting to the line is both realistic and sustainable.
Even if one were to subtract his 21 free throw attempts, Brunson would've scored 26 and 28 points between Game 1 and Game 2. It's also worth noting that the middle-ground isn't zero free throws made or attempted, as a downhill scoring threat like Brunson is destined to draw contact.
Mentality is more important than statistical results, however, and that understanding appears to be reflected in what Brunson has said about the topic at hand.
Game 3 will be decided by more than a decision to ignore the referees, but that shift in mentality should help the offense. New York scored just 94 points in Game 2, and are shooting 23.8 percent from beyond the arc in this series.
Cade Cunningham and the Pistons will be eager to make a statement on their home court, but Brunson can lead the Knicks to victory if the team prioritizes what it can control: Running successful plays designed to create conversions, regardless of a foul call.