Former NBA All-Star Says This Major Flaw Is Sinking the Knicks

The New York Knicks are far from an ideal spot. They are currently down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the gritty, deep, and tough Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks have given it their best effort thus far; however, it has not been good enough to come away with a win thus far. They will have a chance to do just that on Sunday for Game 3, but they’ll have to do so on the road in front of a rowdy Pacers crowd.

There are many reasons why the Knicks are down in this series, but if you ask former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague, he pinpoints it to Knicks star Jalen Brunson holding the ball too often on offensive possessions.

On his latest podcast episode, Teague offered a candid take on the Knicks’ performance in the series, pointing out that Brunson’s tendency to dominate the ball is doing more harm than good for New York’s offense.

“You know how the Knicks lose these games bro? Jalen Brunson holds the ball for, the shot clock is 24 seconds, he’s holding that (expletive) for 17 (seconds),” Teague said. “It’s the way he hold the ball.

“They don’t get no rhythm. That’s why when he comes out the game, all of a sudden the pace pick up, the tempo pick up. All of a sudden, you see people start hoopin’ a little bit. He hold the ball so long.”

Teague is not far off. In the series, Brunson’s usage percentage is at 40.1 percent throughout two games in the conference finals.

While his numbers are stellar, they are not leading to wins. In the series, Brunson is averaging 39.5 points per game, 8.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.

While Brunson is the Knicks’ best player and most clutch, the offense has not been up to par, especially against a relentless Pacers defense. In order for the Knicks to get offensive opportunities, they must be able to move the ball and become unpredictable.

The Pacers’ defense is too good for Brunson to just go iso and hope for a made bucket, especially throughout a 48-minute contest. The differences between the two stars in this series and their usage are stark.

Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton is only at 26.2 percent in that category. In the meantime, Haliburton is averaging 22.5 points per game, 11.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three.

The Knicks will have an opportunity to respond on Sunday, and it remains to be seen whether they’ll make the necessary offensive adjustments to turn the tide in their favor.

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