Jalen Brunson: Knicks 'Can't Look Ahead' to Playoffs, Taking 'Step-by-Step' Approach to 2nd Half

Jalen Brunson knows that the New York Knicks can't be caught looking too far ahead into the future as a fateful second half begins.

New York Knicks fans have likely been tempted to dream of the NBA playoffs starting immediately at several points this season. If the postseason did begin tomorrow, the Knicks (33-22) would be sitting relatively pretty, as they currently place fourth on the Eastern Conference bracket.

All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, however, knows that that's no way to approach the final 27 regular season contests.

“Obviously, there (are) chances,” Brunson during All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “But I think for us we can’t focus on that. We have to concentrate on Philly, our first game out of the break, and go from there."

“The best part about the journey is just taking it step by step and it’s something we can’t look past, at all.”

John Jones, USA TODAY SPORTS

Brunson is immediately back in metropolitan business mode after his first All-Star experience, capping things off with 12 points in the Eastern Conference's scoreboard-breaking performance over the West on Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. As he mentioned, the Knicks open the post-break slate in Philadelphia on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, MSG), facing a reeling 76ers group that would serve as their first-round opponent on the current postseason board. 

Philadelphia (32-22) has sputtered since losing Joel Embiid, but the Knicks are in alarmingly similar straits: OG Anunoby (elbow) and Julius Randle (shoulder) probably won't be back until spring while Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) has missed the last three showings. Hartenstein is already subbing for Mitchell Robinson (ankle), who has an outside chance at returning before the year lets out. 

With those men and more forced to sit out (the Knicks dressed only nine men last Wednesday in Orlando), the Knicks have dropped four in a row and five of six, meaning few, if any, benefitted more from the timing of the All-Star break.

That's all the more reason, Brunson says, that the Knicks should focus only on the 76ers ... and then the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and New Orleans Pelicans to close out the month. 

WATCH: Knicks' Jalen Brunson Falls Just Short of Advancement in Three-Point Contest

“I think we can be really good,” Brunson told Cassidy Hubbarth of ESPN over the weekend. “I think we have the potential to do a lot of really good things. I know a lot of Knicks fans want to put us right in the Eastern Conference finals. We were one step short last year."

“I think for us, we just have to continue to get better every single day. We can’t look forward to the playoffs. We have to focus on every single day, just chipping away and getting better and better.”