The New York Knicks are heading into the 2026-27 season as reigning NBA Champions. This deservedly makes it hard to pinpoint what, specifically, the club may want to work on improving moving forward.
After all, clearly what they were doing last season worked.
However, if there's one aspect of their game that could be tweaked, it's their over-dependency on superstar Jalen Brunson. Yes, his leadership, heroics, and incredible efficiency certainly played major roles in New York's title run, but having him continue playing with such a heavy workload should by no means be seen as sustainable.
Last season, he ranked ninth among starters (minimum 60 games) in usage percentage, while the Knicks placed in the 55 percentile in points per 100 possessions without him on the floor, a far cry from their 93 percentile placement with him leading the charge.
Considering his underratedly troubling personal injury history, relying on this level of on-ball dominance isn't something New York should be gunning to see for the long term.
Fortunately, they have players around him who are more than capable of stepping up when tasked with doing so. From six-time All-Star and career 22.8-point-per-game scorer on 52.2/ 39.7/ 84.0 shooting splits, Karl-Anthony Towns, to the "Right Hand from God" himself, OG Anunoby, this Knicks team is clearly well equipped with quality offensive options to help share the load.
To protect Brunson's long-term durability and simply make this team more well-rounded, leaning into getting co-stars and role players more involved on the offensive end should be a high priority on coach Mike Brown's to-do list during New York's upcoming title defense tour.
Knicks star wants OG Anunoby to join him at All-Star Weekend
Fortunately, though we may still be shy of two months out from opening night, it appears Brunson is already buzzing about the high-end potential of his supporting cast, namely OG Anunoby.
During a recent appearance on the Road Trippin' Show, Brunson revealed that he "would love" to see OG finally earn his first All-Star nod and join him, and hopefully KAT, out in Phoenix for the annual, star-studded exhibition.
Anunoby has accomplished quite a bit throughout his 10-year NBA career, with headline accolades being a couple of All-Defensive honors and two NBA Championships.
However, despite putting forth a number of All-Star-worthy campaigns, particularly his 2024-25 go-around with the Knicks when he dropped 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and just shy of a block on 47.6 percent shooting from the floor and 37.2 percent shooting from deep, he's yet to have his ticket punched to the mid-season game.
Hopefully, 2026-27 will be his year. Brunson relinquishing some of his offensive duties and sharing the wealth with his running mates, including Anunoby, could very well help him achieve such a feat.
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