Knicks Success Starts and Ends With One Player

A single star guard has been vital for the New York Knicks.
Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) brings the ball up court against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) brings the ball up court against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks are emerging as a top team in the Eastern Conference thanks to a trio of trades for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, but make no mistake, the team still belongs to Jalen Brunson.

The Knicks' success last season was dependent on Brunson, and this season is no different.

ESPN senior writer Tim Bontemps believes Brunson has one of the best value contracts in the NBA.

"One of the bigger fork-in-the-road moments of the past few offseasons was Brunson leaving the Dallas Mavericks and signing a four-year, $100 million contract as a free agent with the Knicks. That the deal came a generation after Steve Nash left Dallas to sign a free agent contract with Phoenix, where he blossomed into a Hall of Fame point guard, is an irony that surely isn't enjoyed by Mavericks fans," Bontemps writes.

"Brunson has turned himself into a 25-point-per-game scorer and a 40% 3-point shooter (with volume) while also solidifying his already sterling reputation as one of the best leaders and locker room presences in the league. He has been the central figure in New York's rise to potential championship contention, in no small part due to the $113 million less he took on his latest extension, allowing New York to further build out its roster."

The Knicks are reaping the benefits of the decision that they made, and it has given them a true franchise cornerstone, which is arguably the hardest part about building a contender nowadays.

With Brunson locked in as the Knicks' No. 1 guy for the next five or six years, New York has the hardest part of building a contender done. Now, they need to find the right supporting cast to uplift Brunson during these late playoff runs the team should make in the foreseeable future.

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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.