Jeff Teague Says Jalen Brunson at Fault For Monotonous Knicks Offense

Jeff Teague pointed out how the Knicks' offense is too one-dimensional because of how Jalen Brunson handles offensive possessions.

Jeff Teague Says Jalen Brunson at Fault For Monotonous Knicks Offense

Jalen Brunson (Image via Instagram)

The New York Knicks find themselves in the unenviable position of having to fight from a 2-0 home deficit. No team has ever won a Conference Finals series after losing their first two home games. The Knicks would also have to become only the seventh team out of 82 to win a series after going down 2-0. A lot of blame for their deficit is going, surprisingly, to their star player and finisher Jalen Brunson.

Jalen Brunson made a career-defining shot in the first round against Amen Thompson to seal the series against Detroit. He then had several clutch plays against the defending champion Boston Celtics in the second round. Through the first two games of the Conference Finals, Brunson is averaging 39.5 points per game. It is clear that he is the most unguardable player left in this year’s playoffs, especially as a scorer.

Yet, it is clear that there’s something amiss about the Knicks outfit. The team doesn’t seem to have a consistent offensive rhythm. While Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ pick-and-roll play frequency has increased, the rest of the team finds itself missing the ball for long periods of time on offense. Jeff Teague attempted to shed light on this phenomenon. Speaking on the Club 520 podcast, the former All-Star said:

You know the Knicks lose these games bro? Jalen Brunson holds the ball for – the shot clock is 24 seconds, he’s holding that b***h for 17. Trying to get a pick and roll. Bring another dude, bring another dude. I’m going one-on-one. If he don’t make it, it’s like F***, you know what I mean? It’s the way he holds the ball. They don’t get no rhythm. That’s why when he comes out of the game, all of a sudden, the pace picks up, the tempo picks up, all of a sudden you see people start hooping a little bit. He holds the ball so long. He’s a great player, hell of a player. He makes tough shots, he does all that. But he holds it for 18 seconds and they get one attempt…There’s no way in hell I can hoop like that.

Unlike the rest of the people in sports media, who are blaming Tom Thibodeau for his rigid strategic approach, Teague puts a fair share of blame for the Knicks’ deficit on their superstar.

Can the Knicks move away from a Jalen Brunson-centered offense?

One of the options that the Knicks have in the remainder of the Conference Finals is to start moving the ball. This is a team with four or five high-IQ basketball players in the starting lineup. Although they haven’t been a team heavy on ball movement this season, the Vilanova core, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby are more than capable of working together in a motion offense that gives them more looks off screens.

The Knicks’ strategy has to be to try and outscore the Pacers. They have tried to reduce the pace of the game after taking leads while Jalen Brunson sits. This strategy hasn’t paid off in two games, and a third try could prove disastrous for them. If they embrace a motion offense and rest Brunson longer, it gives them a better chance of closing games strong.

The Knicks visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse for games 3 and 4 against a hostile, enthusiastic crowd. People in Indiana are perhaps the biggest basketball fans in the whole world, and have longed for an NBA championship. The fans will make the arena hostile enough to pose the Knicks with an ultimate test of their mettle on their road to a championship.

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