New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has been incredibly inefficient on the offensive end to start the 2026-27 NBA season.
Through four games played, the reigning Finals MVP is sporting the lowest points-per-game average of his Big Apple tenure at 22.8 and shooting at career-worst rates of 36.6 percent from the floor and 20.0 percent from deep.
Now, while these numbers may only be coming from a small sample size, they're certainly worth calling out, especially amid New York's 1-3 start.
However, even though these struggles are undeniably noteworthy, they shouldn't come as all that great a surprise to anyone. In fact, in some ways, they should have been expected.
Knicks star clearly still shaking off rust from offseason surgery
Remember, Brunson underwent surgery on his shooting wrist directly following the Knicks' NBA Championship to address a nagging soft-tissue/tendon issue. The operation left him in a cast and away from basketball activities for several months.
Such dormancy is always bound to result in rust buildup.
Just ask Thunder star Jalen Williams, who, after undergoing surgery himself on his own shooting wrist two summers ago, saw his shooting splits go from 51.3 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from deep throughout his first three seasons in the league to just 48.4 percent from the floor and 29.9 percent from deep in his post-operation season.
Brunson's putrid shooting woes should not be seen as a sign of regression or a case of the yips brought on by the pressure of defending an NBA title.
Instead, they're almost certainly caused by residual effects of a multi-month recovery period after offseason wrist surgery and should wear off over time.
At least, that's the hope, anyway.
Knicks star putting in work at the charity stripe
Though his shot may be off to start this year's campaign, Brunson's aggressiveness and elite ability to draw fouls are as alive as ever.
What's exciting is the fact that his productivity remains near the top of the association despite the recent league-wide crackdown on supposed "floppers."
As things currently stand, Brunson has attempted the third-most free throws on the year with 36, averaging out to 9.0 per night
That's roughly 40.0 percent of his 91 points scored coming from the charity stripe.
Until he finds his groove in the field goal department, expect to continue seeing Brunson take advantage of the slap-happy defense he's faced to kick off 2026-27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google