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Knicks Finding Success With Pick-and-Rolls

The New York Knicks are effective in the pick-and-roll game.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) for a layup in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) for a layup in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks knew that trading for Karl-Anthony Towns would spark a connection between him and Jalen Brunson, and the first few games have certainly proven that.

Brunson and Towns are working towards becoming one of the best point guard and big man duos in the NBA this season, especially when they run pick-and-rolls.

"According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Knicks have scored 1.69 points per direct possession when Karl-Anthony Towns has set a ball screen for Jalen Brunson," NBA.com contributor John Schuhmann writes. "That’s the best mark among 47 combinations with at least 25 direct possessions out of the ball screen. It’s a small sample size (just 33 possessions), but when a Brunson/Towns pick-and-roll has led directly to a shot, turnover or trip to the line, the Knicks have been ridiculously efficient."

The Knicks were extremely effective last season with Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein in pick-and-rolls, mainly because the former would drive to the basket. However, with Towns' shooting coming into play, the Knicks' pick and roll could be even more dangerous as you add the pop that the center can provide.

Towns is one of the league's best three-point shooting big men, so adding him next to a driving Brunson forces opposing defenses to pick their poison. This will force defenses to put more attention on Brunson and Towns, but that will likely open up someone like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges or Miles McBride on the perimeter to shoot an efficient and open three-point shot as well.

The more the Knicks can experiment and play along with Brunson and Towns in the pick and roll, the better they will become. That should put the league on notice to how lethal the two of them can be together.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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