Thread by @KnickFilmSkool

🎞🧵Knicks Film Thread 🧵🎞

Featuring analysis by @BenRitholtzNBA.

Today’s Lesson: 🚨BRUNSON🚨

1/14) Brunson is ELITE at accessing and finishing in the paint. Not so much the RIM, but the paint. It stems from great acceleration, handle, + touch. Cannot stop his left drive.

2/14) Once he uses those handles + burst to get a step, his brute strength keeps you there. And if you dare actually cut him off, he has absolutely no issue finishing right THROUGH you.

Jalen Brunson is a bully in the paint - watch how these dudes bounce right off him.

3/14) Or, if he doesn’t want to bulldoze you, he’s got a NASTY step-through/Euro as a counter.

Per @The_BBall_Index, Brunson ranks in the 97% in adjusted drives per 75 possessions, and 94% in finishing talent, despite not getting all the way to the rim often.
Remarkable.

4/14) That’s because his touch is so spectacular from anywhere in the paint.

If the defender has actually succeeded in stopping a Brunson drive left, he loves to go to the short fade over his left shoulder.

Per @cleantheglass, Brunson shot 51% (91st%) in the short midrange.

5/14) And he’s got counters to the counters. Cut him off. Think he’s going to the baby fade? Here’s an up & under for you to flail at. Brunson’s footwork is perhaps the very best in the NBA.

His clever up-fakes also allow him to draw fouls on an above-average 8% of his shots.

6/14) While he prefers to drive left, he’s more than capable of accelerating to his right as well and even finishing with the off-hand on occasion.

However, his FAVORITE thing to do is execute his gorgeous spin move back to his left and finish with a layup or floater.

7/14) And then there are times when he combines all of these various moves with brilliant ingenuity and craft.

The one hesitation i have is whether he’ll have time for all of this maneuvering in NY’s less spaced environment. We may see less of these complex combination moves.

8/14) A unique part of Brunson’s game is that he plays more like a big than a guard even though he’s 6”1. He prefers getting smalls on switches and punishing them, sometimes with actual post-ups, as shown here. He dominated UTA because he had several little guards to choose from.

9/14) Because he’s small, people like to invoke his hard work and heart when talking about his success. I’m here to tell you that he is straight FILTHY. His array of in&out dribbles, crossovers, hesis, and footwork is ELITE. He has incredible skill. Here’s some of my favorites:

10/14) Another ability he’ll bring to the Knicks that nobody else on the roster currently possesses is keeping his dribble alive; probing patiently and waiting to see what develops.

Brunson “Nashes” both to get his own shot and get shots for others.

11/14) In the pick & roll vs drop coverage, Brunson is VERY patient. He likes to get his defender on his back and work from there; often snaking and weaving until he finds a gap.

Of course, if the drop concedes the elbow jumper, he’ll can it. JB shoots 48% in the long midrange.

12/14) Brunson can really shoot the long ball, so we are talking a true 3-level scorer. He shot 37% from 3, but 40% on catch + shoot, and an incredible 47% from the corners.

His high release helps him get em off, and he’s willing and ready to take tough and CLUTCH ones.

13/14) Pull-up 3s are where there is truly room for growth. I’ve seen him comfortably take and make enough of them that I see no reason he can’t improve both volume and accuracy.

This would be one way to compensate for the spacing reduction in NY.

He can step in or stepback:

14/14) Just 24% of his shots are 3s, 8th% for combo guards. He’s in the 97% in midrange frequency. You would like to see that shift. GSW went under lots of screens knowing this, and Brunson needs to shoot them with confidence and punish unders, even if he made a couple of the 2s.

🚨 Brunson cont. - Playmaking 🚨

1/5) Because Brunson is an elite penetrator via the series of jukes and moves described above, passes become available simply as a function of the help he draws deep in the paint.

As such, there’s a very high baseline for Brunson as playmaker:

2/5) I would call his passing vision very good if not great, and while I think his instincts ARE great, he’s somewhat limited by his size and the lack of angles and sight-lines that result.

One pass he has DOWN - the fling to the right corner in any variety. RJ be ready to fire.

3/5) One element I was particularly interested in was his lob-throwing, since Mitch is so good at and so dependent on them.

JB doesn’t do it often, but he’s got really good touch when he does. I’d bet that increasing the catch radius significantly from Powell to Mitch will help.

4/5) Where Brunson shines most as a passer is in transition (perhaps because those sight-lines are all available with less clutter). Notice how he brings the ball up on the break like he’s crossing a busy intersection - head on a swivel. Knicks better run their lanes and trail.

5/5) Jalen Brunson is going to be getting the Knicks better looks than they got a year ago, straight up.

Bball Index ranks him highly across the board as a playmaker.

He’s got great feel, will increase the pace and find them in transition, and will break down the D constantly.