The Knicks may be sitting on the perfect guard to unlock Brunson and KAT

After a 100–94 loss to the Pistons in Game 2, the Knicks are facing mounting pressure to make adjustments ahead of Game 3.

I previously wrote about how coach Tom Thibodeau needs to lean into a five-out style of offense in order to maximize Karl-Anthony Towns and the roster as a whole. I also wrote about how Josh Hart's 3-point volume must increase, specifically when he is spotting up, or the Pistons will continue to sag off of him and make things more difficult for everyone else.

Yet another issue is the Knicks' reliance on Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson to handle the ball, and how that may be stifling his co-stars, specifically Towns.

And while I stand by the importance of those larger changes, there may be a smaller tweak that will at least help with some of the aforementioned offensive issues.

Play Cam Payne!

In Game 2, Cam Payne played just over four minutes. His highlights? three fouls and one turnover. After that Thibs had seen enough, and Payne was banished to the bench for the remainder of the game. In Game 3, Payne's lease should not only be longer, but he should play significant minutes.

Payne and Towns played 696 minutes together this season, per the league's play-by-play data. In those minutes, the Knicks posted an offensive rating of 121.5 and a defensive rating of 111.46. For those who struggle with quick math, that is a net rating of 10.04, which would have been the second-best net rating in the league in the regular season.

The Brunson and Payne minutes are a much smaller sample size. The two guards only shared the court for 119 minutes in the regular season. The results were, well, interesting. The Knicks posted an offensive rating of 134.03, which would rank ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers as the best offense in the NBA. On the other side of the ball, the Knicks had a defensive rating of 123.4, which would have ranked as the second-worst defense in the league this year.

In the limited minutes Brunson and Payne shared the court in Game 1, the results were wildly successful. The duo scored 17 consecutive points, the start of New York's 21-0 run, which effectively secured them the win.

Another ball handler will get Brunson easier looks

Having another ball handler alongside Brunson should also facilitate him getting some easier looks off-ball.

Brunson was one of the most efficient scorers in the league this year, both on-ball and off-ball. But the amount he has to work to get good looks on-ball, especially as the game condenses in the playoffs, will take its toll eventually. Getting him looks coming off screens with Payne handling the rock, for at least stretches of the game, will only benefit him in the long run.