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The Knicks don’t just have a clutch player. They have the clutch player.
And if any game in the Eastern Conference Finals comes down to the wire, Jalen Brunson has already proven he’s built for the moment.
The Knicks’ All-Star point guard won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award this season, leading the league in scoring in the final five minutes or overtime of games within a five-point margin. He’s the late-game trump card New York may need to play if Indiana pushes them to the brink.
“There’s obviously a lot of talented guys in the league, especially in that fourth quarter – guys like Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. But I think his ability to rise to the occasion, his ability to let the ball make the proper play and let games [tell him what to do] situations is unmatched,” said Knicks forward Josh Hart. “He’s one of the guys, if we’re down, it’s a couple-possession game toward the end of the fourth quarter, we’re extremely confident because we got guys that are gonna make plays defensively and he’s gonna make the proper play offensively: whether that’s scoring or drawing two guys on his shots, those kinds of things.
“I think we ride on that. He’s the most clutch player in the NBA right now. We’re happy he’s on our team.”
Thibodeau’s mad minutes plan doesn’t look so mad after all.
The Knicks entered the playoffs as the league’s healthiest team, and now — halfway to a title — all systems are still a go for Round 3.
That probably won’t change how fans or critics view the Knicks’ head coach. But Hart believes Thibodeau has already shown he’s capable of growth.
“I think once you have a label, it’s hard to shed that label. Those two series, he showed that he’s willing to adapt, he’s willing to change, he’s willing to do different things than he’s used to,” said Hart. “Obviously, that’s a willingness on his end, the trust and belief in his players. Everyone gave him a label and they just ran with that label for the last 10, 15 years. But I think the last two series showed his ability to adapt and change when necessary.”
First J.B. Bickerstaff. Then Joe Mazzulla. Now comes Rick Carlisle.
The Knicks’ third coaching matchup of the postseason might be their toughest yet.
Carlisle is a former NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks and now leads an Indiana Pacers team that has reached its first conference finals in a decade.
“I have great respect for Rick and I’ve known him a long time. He’s been the head of the coach’s association for ever and done a wonderful job with that,” said Thibodeau. “But you have to respect the team and you have to know what goes into wining. I think if you lock into individual matchups and that sort of thing, you get lost in what is really important. You have to prepare for their team and you have to understand that.”
Continue reading...
And if any game in the Eastern Conference Finals comes down to the wire, Jalen Brunson has already proven he’s built for the moment.
The Knicks’ All-Star point guard won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award this season, leading the league in scoring in the final five minutes or overtime of games within a five-point margin. He’s the late-game trump card New York may need to play if Indiana pushes them to the brink.
“There’s obviously a lot of talented guys in the league, especially in that fourth quarter – guys like Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. But I think his ability to rise to the occasion, his ability to let the ball make the proper play and let games [tell him what to do] situations is unmatched,” said Knicks forward Josh Hart. “He’s one of the guys, if we’re down, it’s a couple-possession game toward the end of the fourth quarter, we’re extremely confident because we got guys that are gonna make plays defensively and he’s gonna make the proper play offensively: whether that’s scoring or drawing two guys on his shots, those kinds of things.
“I think we ride on that. He’s the most clutch player in the NBA right now. We’re happy he’s on our team.”
Thibodeau’s mad minutes plan doesn’t look so mad after all.
The Knicks entered the playoffs as the league’s healthiest team, and now — halfway to a title — all systems are still a go for Round 3.
That probably won’t change how fans or critics view the Knicks’ head coach. But Hart believes Thibodeau has already shown he’s capable of growth.
“I think once you have a label, it’s hard to shed that label. Those two series, he showed that he’s willing to adapt, he’s willing to change, he’s willing to do different things than he’s used to,” said Hart. “Obviously, that’s a willingness on his end, the trust and belief in his players. Everyone gave him a label and they just ran with that label for the last 10, 15 years. But I think the last two series showed his ability to adapt and change when necessary.”
First J.B. Bickerstaff. Then Joe Mazzulla. Now comes Rick Carlisle.
The Knicks’ third coaching matchup of the postseason might be their toughest yet.
Carlisle is a former NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks and now leads an Indiana Pacers team that has reached its first conference finals in a decade.
“I have great respect for Rick and I’ve known him a long time. He’s been the head of the coach’s association for ever and done a wonderful job with that,” said Thibodeau. “But you have to respect the team and you have to know what goes into wining. I think if you lock into individual matchups and that sort of thing, you get lost in what is really important. You have to prepare for their team and you have to understand that.”
Continue reading...
