The Knicks outscored opponents by a total of 64 points with Jalen Brunson on the court in the preseason.
That’s a tremendous plus-minus. But it came against some of the weaker teams in the NBA. And even if the Knicks were playing the Warriors and the Bucks, it’s always tricky to make projections based on the preseason.
So what does Brunson’s strong plus-minus mean in the big picture? To Tom Thibodeau, it’s a sign that his starters are in a good place at the moment.
“Those guys are playing really well together. Very unselfish. All of them,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks closed the preseason with a win over Washington. “Julius (Randle) getting the ball up the floor fast, making plays, moving without the ball, creating movement, getting downhill. RJ (Barrett) doing a lot – whether it’s attacking downhill, getting the ball up the floor fast. I thought Evan (Fournier) gave us good minutes. Those guys are searching Mitch (Robinson) out, too. The way they’re playing together has been really good.”
Barring an injury in practice, the Knicks will start the regular season with Brunson, Barrett, Fournier, Randle and Robinson as starters.
The group seemed to share the ball well in the preseason. They had a combined 56 assists and 21 turnovers in four games (most – but not all - of the assists and turnovers occurred when they all shared the floor together.
It was a strong showing for a unit that entered training camp with questions after the disappointment of last season.
ROBINSON ON A ROLL
Mitchell Robinson had 20 points, nine offensive rebounds, two blocks and two steals against the Wizards. Thibodeau believes his starting center is in a good place entering the regular season.
“He’s put a lot of work in, he’s gotten better. The rebounding, the shot-blocking, he’s getting more comfortable with the ball. The finishing. The pressure on the rim. That set the tone from the start,” Thibodeau said of Robinson, who re-signed on a four-year, $60 million deal in the offseason.
BRUNSON'S LEADERSHIP
Brunson said he made a point to take teammates out to dinner when he first got to New York. He’s spent time with teammates off the court over the past two months. He’ll probably have some teammates over for the Eagles-Cowboys game this week. Brunson is an Eagles fan. Randle, a Cowboys fan, will get an invite to Brunson’s house on Sunday.
ARCIDIACONO A LOCK?
Thibodeau heaped praise on guard Ryan Arcidiacono on Friday.
“He’s been terrific. Whether it’s practice, when you throw him in a game. He’s smart, he’s tough, he’s competitive,” Thibodeau said. “He can think on his feet, he can play multiple positions. A career 38 percent 3-point shooter. So he’s done a really good job. He’s stood out in practice. He’s played really well.”
At some point between now and Monday afternoon, the Knicks will cut the roster down to 17 for the regular season. Entering training camp, Svi Mykhailiuk was seen as a favorite to earn a roster spot, per people in touch with the Knicks. The final roster spot could go to Arcidiacono, one of the Knicks’ two-way players, or be left vacant. The guess here is that Mykhailiuk and Arcidiacono get a roster spot, and Trevor Keels and Feron Hunt remain on two-way deals. Thibodeau’s praise of Arcidiacono could have been coach-speak. But I think Thibodeau is fond of the guard.