THE Knicks have played admirably without Jalen Brunson Since the stars leader fell with an ankle sprain in early March.
After Saturday dominant victory on the Atlanta HawksThe Knicks are 9-6 without their captain, and some players raised their game on the offensive side in their place. This is particularly true for OG Anunoby.
The 6 -inch 6 -inch wing is marking at a hot pace. A little in his last five games, Anunoby has an average of 26.6 points and entered on Saturday with 5.2 free throws per game since Brunson’s injury, showing how much he is willing to drive to the hoop. But with Brunson should come back on Sunday Against the Phoenix Suns, questions about how the offensive will flow with their general back on the ground has appeared.
After Saturday’s victory, Tom Thibodeau We asked if the style of Anunoby "have to change" Once Brunson returns. The longtime Knicks coach has rejected.
"The concept of all this is white noise," He said. "The game tells you what to do, you know? So who is he in transition? Open, right? And if there are two on someone, who pulled, that is to say? You have the responsibility as a main marker to play the right game. So, the idea that it must be thus, in this way, no. There must be a desire to sacrifice by everyone.
"The team must come first. What could be better for our team? What gives the team the best chance of winning? And that’s all that everyone should think about. They shouldn’t think about who does that, who does that. This is not how this game works. If you care to win, these things should not matter."
A question of follow -up in Thibodeau asked who "ends up getting the photo" With Brunson on the ground, and underlined how during this section, Anunoby is "Spend less time in the corners." Thibodeau pushed even stronger and broke down how he sees everyone’s responsibilities on the ground, whether Brunson is on the ground or not.
"No, (Anunoby) has never spent exclusively … This notion is a bunch of garbage. I will tell you another thing: I appreciate the corners much more than most people because I know it is the most precious place on the ground," Said Thibodeau. "It is everywhere on the ground. This is how he scores. This is how everyone marks. So, if you have a driving pass, go who is supposed to be in the area? It is a reader and a kick and if you cut and move without the ball, that’s what you are supposed to do, right?
"If you push the ball up, your first responsibility is to create a rhythm. Your second responsibility is to create a movement and everyone is supposed to read the man before them. So, if you read the man in front of you and he cuts, then you replace in front, right? This is how this game works. It is therefore a bunch of apology. And that’s how I see it."
Aside from the fiery exchanges, it is undeniable how the Knicks offensive was well oiled in the sections, especially on Saturday. Against the Hawks, the Knicks scored a summit of 78 points in the first half and collected 32 assists, the 27th time this season, they reached the mark of 30 assistants. They accomplished this feat only 10 times a season ago.
These additional passes were a key to Saturday’s victory, and Thibodeau is satisfied with how the offensive is humming when Brunson returns.
"I think it’s huge, and to succeed in this league, you have to do it together," Said Thibodeau. "You cannot gain at the highest level of this league individually, you must do it collectively. So everyone had to be ready to sacrifice. I think the offense concerns execution. Everyone has a job to do. You have to go there and do your job and you have to help yourself.
"Everyone works together and hits the open, passing a good blow to get a big blow, but this desire to be disinterested and play for each other is huge."
The Knicks hope to continue their winning routes on Sunday against the Suns with Brunson on the ground. The goalkeeper will have five games before the end of the regular season – and the start of the playoffs – to react and prove that the Knicks offensive can continue to run as if he would never have left.
