Jalen Brunson has made quiet yet exceptional strides as a playmaker since joining the New York Knicks in 2022. Emerging from the shadow of Luka Doncic's ball-dominant style of play, Brunson has gone from averaging 5.4 assists per 36 minutes in Dallas to 6.8 in New York.
Despite his statistical improvement, Brunson's leap to borderline elite territory as a facilitator over the past month and a half has surprised everyone. If the Knicks remain patient, it can change their outlook.
Brunson is averaging 0.8 fewer assists per game (6.5) and 0.6 fewer assists per 36 minutes (6.8) than he did in 2024-25. He's cut down on his turnovers by 0.2 per game and 0.2 per 36 minutes, however, which offers some level of explanation for the slight decrease in volume, as he's taking a more responsible approach to creating for himself and others.
When the Knicks lost nine of a possible 11 games between Dec. 31 and Jan. 19, however, something seemed to change in Brunson.
The Knicks won their next five games, with Brunson taking a step back as both a scorer and facilitator. Less of the franchise player was never going to be a sustainable strategy, however, which ultimately called upon Brunson to look inward and figure out how he can adapt to the need for change.
Brunson has answered the call, averaging 7.9 assists per game since Feb. 1 and 10.0 since Mar. 1—suddenly evolving into a top-tier facilitator.
Jalen Brunson has made an in-season leap to top-tier facilitator status
Brunson recorded at least 10 assists just six times between his first 56 games in 2025-26. He's now done so in three of his past six outings, including consecutive performances with 15 assists—against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, no less.
In the three games since, Brunson has posted 24 points and seven assists against the Los Angeles Lakers, and 28 points and eight assists against both the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz.
Though the moving pieces have yet to fully fall into place, there's no way around how compelling Brunson's evolution is. He's responding to the occasional poor shooting performance by creating for his teammates and maintaining that focus even when his shot is falling.
Suddenly, Brunson has given opposing defenses the need for a split second of hesitation in regard to anticipating his next step. That's typically all an elite offensive player needs.
Brunson's surge has directly coincided with the Knicks playing a more team-centric style of offense. They ranked No. 11 in the NBA in assists per game through January, but have been No. 4 in the same statistical area since Feb. 1.
That's an even more remarkable feat when one contextualizes it with the fact that the Knicks lost Miles McBride on Jan. 27 and have struggled to generate bench points ever since, thus placing a heavy burden on Brunson and the starters.
If Brunson can continue to thrive in this capacity once the Knicks get healthy, they'll be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. They've proven capable of competing with the NBA's top teams and Brunson's uncanny ability to step up under the spotlight has been a signature reason why.
Questions still exist about the Knicks' legitimacy as a contender, but Brunson's sudden evolution into a borderline elite facilitator is the development that can unlock New York's potential if it allows it to blossom.