One of the few things we know about Mike Brown's plans for the Knicks' offense is that he wants to speed things up and space things out, something that has already been reflected in their summer league play. For Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson, that could mean a shift away from on-ball dominance and an increase in off-ball actions.
Knicks' summer league coach Jordan Brink has already confirmed that Brown wants the team to play faster. While the summer squad hasn't displayed the positives of an up-tempo offense, with two poor showings so far, it does give us an idea of what we might see this season.
Since Brunson joined the Knicks three years ago, they have been one of the slowest-paced teams in the league. Brown's Kings teams were known for their pace and space offenses, something that he is expected to bring to New York, and it could shift how the Knicks' star is used.
Brown might bring a change in play style for Brunson
Brunson will still be the center of the Knicks' offensive solar system. Everything revolves around him, and that won't change under Brown. That said, it could mean fewer isolation possessions for the All-NBA guard.
Brunson is a great isolation player, especially considering that he is undersized by NBA standards. In each of the last two seasons, he has averaged over 10 isolations per 100 possessions, something that could likely dip this season.
While Brunson is one of the most efficient high-usage on-ball players in the league, he is also incredibly efficient off-ball, albeit less often.
Here is how the top 30 scorers in the league compare to one another when it comes to on-ball and off-ball scoring pic.twitter.com/428HF5V6Q4
— AOP_NBA (@aop_nba) March 19, 2025
Per the league's play type data, Brunson spent only 10 percent of his offensive possessions as a spot up player, three percent of his offensive possessions coming off of screens, and two percent of his offensive possessions as a cutter. Those numbers should all see an uptick.
What does that mean for everyone else?
That change for Brunson could have a ripple effect on the rest of the offense. It could mean more time on-ball for Knicks wings like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, using Karl-Anthony Towns as a passing hub similarly to how Sabonis was used in Sacramento, and perhaps even more time for Brunson playing with another ball-handler like Jordan Clarkson.
A downtick in Brunson's on-ball workload could also help keep him fresh come playoff time. Brunson has proven to be a workhorse, as have most of the Knicks' lineup, but they looked gassed in the Eastern Conference Finals.