The biggest story coming out of the New York Knicks' opening night victory wasn't Jalen Brunson's performance. It wasn't OG Anunoby setting a career-high in rebounds or him leading the Knicks in points. It was the new and creative way Mike Brown implemented Brunson into what is a fresh take on an already dominant Knicks offense.
Jalen Brunson is becoming less of an on-ball player
In the 2024-2025 season, the New York Knicks had the fifth-ranked offense with a 117.3 offensive rating. A top-five offense that revolved around Jalen Brunson having the ball in his hands. After the coaching change from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown, we're seeing Jalen Brunson used in a way we haven't seen since his days with the Dallas Mavericks.
Other players on the Knicks took over the bulk of ball-handling responsibilities in the first quarter. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby initiated the majority of the offense.
The first basket scored by the Knicks was a three-point shot from the weak side corner. The ball started at the top of the key in the hands of Mikal Bridges. Anunoby catches a quick pass to the left wing, followed by a pick and roll with Hukporti. From the high post, Hukporti passes the ball to Karl-Anthony Towns, and the ball ends with Jalen Brunson knocking down a three from the right corner.
When's the last time you remember Brunson not touching the ball for the whole possession until he knocks down an off-ball three? You probably can't recall.
This makes the Knicks more dangerous
Mike Brown has emphasized that the goal of Brunson playing off the ball is to create more easy shots for him. That especially includes spray threes, which we've already seen glimpses of. By Brunson not always handling the ball, the offense can move faster at times and spread playmaking responsibilities around.
This does not mean that Brunson will no longer handle the ball. He still was one of the primary ball handlers for portions of the season opener. What it means is that teams have to game-plan for Brunson in different ways. Brunson is more than capable of hurting teams whether he's playing on the ball or off the ball. Getting easy shots for Brunson when he's playing off-ball will only help him get into a rhythm, potentially making his on-ball scoring even better.
Head coach Mike Brown should continue to utilize Brunson as a multi-faceted threat as much as possible. The potential for the Knicks' offense to skyrocket is only that much more likely.