After making it to the playoffs only once between 2014 and 2022, the Knicks made it to the postseason in each of the last two campaigns. They are heading into the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals, a feat they haven’t achieved in the 21st century. Several factors contributed to their turnaround, but Joakim Noah believes Jalen Brunson deserves the most credit.
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On All The Smoke podcast, the former Knicks center lauded the guard and his impact on the franchise and the city since signing with the team in the 2022 offseason. The retired center explained that the team needed a superstar to lead them and Brunson stepped up and did a stellar job. He said,
“The stability that he brought to not just the organization but to the whole city, it was like,’Everybody calm down, I got this, we’re going to play at my pace.’ Like nobody’s going to rush anything, you go to the garden now and it’s just like they are playing at his pace.”
Noah also gave a shoutout to the guard’s father Rick Brunson. He was the Bulls’ assistant coach under head coach Tom Thibodeau from 2010 to 2012 and played a massive role in the center’s development.
He joined the Knicks with his son in 2022 and Noah is glad that the veteran coach can watch his son operate at the highest level from the best seats in the arena. The Brunsons joined the Knicks when the team was in disarray but have overseen a complete overhaul of the franchise.
Jalen Brunson’s immense contributions to the Knicks
After four seasons with the Mavericks, Brunson signed with the Knicks in the 2022 offseason to not much fanfare, considering he largely played second-fiddle to Luka Doncic. However, in his first season with his new team, he showcased why the Mavericks should’ve heeded his contract demands and kept him in Dallas.
In his debut year in New York, Brunson led the Knicks to a 47-35 record in the regular season before propelling the franchise to its first playoff series win since 2013. They lost to the Heat in the second round but Brunson finished his first postseason foray as a Knick with an impressive 27.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 11 outings, scoring 20 or more in each game.
Last season, he led them to their first 50-win season since the 2012-13 season despite losing star teammate Julius Randle midway through the season. He also earned his first All-Star nod. He carried his sensational form into the playoffs and averaged a phenomenal 32.4 points and 7.5 assists.
Brunson scored 40 or more points in four straight games, becoming the first player to do so since Michael Jordan in the 1993 playoffs. However, his efforts weren’t enough as the Knicks fell to the Pacers in seven games during the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Following another successful campaign, the front office went to work in the offseason and added Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to the roster. The Knicks have gone from the East’s laughing stock to one of the favorites to win the conference in less than two years.
The catalyst of their turnaround was the arrival of Brunson, who is gearing up to conquer the ultimate challenge of ending New York’s 51-year wait for an NBA title.
