1 A.B. (After Brunson) - Reflecting On The First Year of the Brunson Era
The terms "A.D." and "B.C." have their roots in Christianity. Anno Domini translates from Medieval Latin to "in the year of our Lord." While "B.C." stands for "before Christ."
The individual most commonly credited with introducing the A.D. system was a monk named Dionysius Exiguus (sometimes called Dennis the Small) of Scythia Minor. It is believed that Dionysius determined the date of Jesus' birth based on surviving writings from early Christians, such as Clement of Alexandria or Eusebius of Caesarea. (As it turns out, Dionysius was probably off by a few years, with modern estimates placing Christ's birth at around 4 B.C.)
According to Johns Hopkins University's Project Muse, Dionysius devised his methodology to replace the Diocletian system, named after Diocletian, who was Roman Emperor from A.D. 284 to A.D. 305. This method was based on the number of years since Diocletian had become the emperor of Rome. Dionysius' goal was to expunge the exaltation of Diocletian, who had harshly persecuted Christians.
The B.C./A.D. system gained vast popularity throughout most of the known world in the ninth century after Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne adopted the system for dating acts of government throughout Europe
While there's no threat of a new, international method of date-keeping being created based on the arrival of Jalen Brunson in New York, Brunson's signing with the Knicks represents (to borrow a phrase from Clyde) a dramatic, emphatic point of divergence for the Knicks fans worldwide. Brunson's impact on the franchise, and the fanbase, has been that consequential.
This past Wednesday was the first anniversary of Brunson signing his contract and being officially introduced as a member of the Knickerbockers, which means we are now in Year 2 of the Brunson era, or 2 A.B. (After Brunson), as it shall henceforth be referred to.
On Opening Night of the upcoming 2023-23 NBA season, Brunson will be the Knicks starting point guard. Why is this significant, you might ask. Well, it will be the first time New York has trotted out the same starting PG on opening night in consecutive seasons since Chris Duhon.
In the 13 (mostly forgettable) seasons since 2009 (or 13 B.B. - Before Bruson), these PGs started the first game of the year for the Knicks:
2009: Chris Duhon
2010: Ray Felton
2011: Toney Douglas
2012: Ray Felton
2013: Pablo Prigioni
2014: Shane Larkin
2015: Jose Calderon
2016: Derrick Rose
2017: Ramon Sessions
2018: Trey Burke
2019: Allonzo Trier
2020: Elfrid Payton
2021: Kemba Walker
To say the Knicks were starving for a point guard at this time last year would be a massive understatement. Fans would have been ecstatic to land a mere starting-caliber PG. Instead, a star arrived (manna from heaven for a malnourished fanbase).
By and large, Brunson was viewed as a respected, up-and-coming player 12 months ago. He was fresh off a terrific postseason performance for Dallas and had established himself quality NBA guard.
Still, there were questions and concerns about his ability to lead a team to the postseason by taking his game to the next level. Last June, when it was reported that New York was preparing to offer Brunson a max contract of nearly $130 million, some thought that could potentially be an overpay (including yours truly - so colossal credit to Brunson for proving me wrong!)
Even after it was announced that New York had inked Brunson to a deal worth less than $105 million guaranteed (including a team-friendly descending salary structure), quite a few pundits predicted the Knicks would regret the signing. Yet, the doubts surrounding Brunson - that he wasn't big enough or athletic enough - were not new. They were the same criticisms Brunson heard leading up to the 2018 draft, when all 30 teams passed on him, and he slid into the second round despite a phenomenal career at Villanova, which included two national titles.
During his introductory press conference with MSG reporter Bill Pidto 366 days ago, Brunson addressed such assessments from skeptical Doubting Thomases. "Everywhere I've gone, since high school it started for me, it's always been, 'Jalen Brunson's good, but' — it's always that 'but,'" Brunson said. "They're going to say something negative about (me)…. It was 'too slow,' 'not athletic enough,' 'too small,' all those things that don't measure heart."
That miscalculation of the importance of the kid's heart and soul by scouts, GMs, and talent evaluators throughout the NBA benefited the Knicks.
Yet, even though Knicks fans believed Brunson would be a massive upgrade at PG, even the most optimistic and ardent Brunson acolyte/apostle would have been hesitant to suggest Jalen would produce the prolific numbers he ended up posting during his first year with the franchise. JB would go on to average 24.0 points, 6.2 assists (vs. just 2.1 turnovers), 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 three-pointers, and 0.9 steals, while shooting 49% from the floor, 41.6% from downtown and 82.9% from the free-throw stripe.
Here are just a few of the statistical highlights from his miraculous 2022-23 campaign:
Brunson was one of two players in the NBA to average at least 24 points while shooting over 48% from the field and over 40% from deep (Steph Curry was the other).
Brunson is the first and only player in league history to post those stats while also averaging more than six assists and less than 2.5 turnovers per contest.
Over his first four years in the NBA, Brunson scored 30+ points three times; this past season, he did it 21 times.
As the year progressed, Brunson got better and better; over the final three months of the regular season, J.B. averaged 27.9 points on 51.9% shooting (and 2.4 made three-balls on 45.6% shooting).
Then the playoffs arrived, and Brunson incredibly stepped his game up to an even high level. He led New York to the second round and finished the postseason averaging 27.8 points, 5.6 dimes, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 made three-pointers. Only four players in NBA history have appeared in more than ten games in a single postseason and matched or exceeded those per-game averages (LeBron James, Steph Curry, James Harden and Luka Doncic).
And he almost single-handedly carried New York to the Conference Finals. In NY's second-round series vs. Miami, Brunson averaged 31/5/6 and yet, somehow, those jaw-dropping numbers don't convey just how valuable/impactful he was. JB played 255 of the 288 total minutes in the series. The Knicks outscored the Heat with Brunson on the floor, but Miami outscored New York by 28 points in the mere 33 minutes Brunosn rested.
As a team, the Knicks shot over 45% from the floor and 33% from downtown when Brunson was in the game that series. The Knicks shot under 32% from the floor and 8% from downtown (seriously… they were 2-of-25) with Brunson on the bench.
New York's Offensive Rating with Brunson on the court: 113.3
New York's Offensive Rating with Brunson on the bench: 75.7
New York's Net Rating with Brunson on the court: +3.8
New York's Net Rating with Brunson on the bench: -16.9
In Game 6 in Miami (the most important game the Knicks have played this millennium), Brunson finished with 41 points. On the road. In the second round of the playoffs. In an elimination game. Against a team whose sole focus on defense was stopping him because none of his teammates could buy a bucket. This was two nights after Brunson racked up 38 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four triples in New York's Game 5 victory at MSG to extend the series.
In Game 6, Brunson was 14-of-22 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point territory. The Knicks' other four starters combined were 5-of-32 from the floor and 2-of-16 from downtown. Per ESPN, Brunson was just the fourth player in NBA history to make more field goals than the rest of the team combined when facing elimination, joining LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Penny Hardaway.
In the 45 games (34 regular season and 11 playoff contests) Brunson played this calendar year, he averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 made three-pointers. Think about that for a second. That's a 45-game, pressure-packed sample size.
So, yeah, Mr. Brunson joined some pretty elite company in 2023. And because of that, the Knicks franchise is viewed drastically differently today than it was just 12 months ago.
In the NBA, you need elite player(s) to be considered a legitimate championship contender. For years, the Knicks have searched in vain to land such a talent. LeBron said no (twice) in free agency; K.D./Kyrie chose Brooklyn; Leon Rose decided not to go all-in for Donovan Mitchell… to name just a few. The list of stars the Knicks missed out on is incredibly long.
Last July, most of us assumed the Knicks had finally found a good point guard. Little did we know then that the Knicks had also finally reeled in the type of big fish they'd spent decades chasing.
And as if Brunson's talent and leadership in the locker room weren't enough, JB's salary will actually decrease each of the next two seasons. By 2024-25, he'll make under $25 million and account for less than 18% of the Knicks' salary cap. It's now, unquestionably, one of the best value contacts in the entire league.
More than 50 players will be paid more than Brunson (who, at age 26, is just now entering his prime) next season.
And looking back, the addition of Brunson last summer also prevented the Knicks from overspending to improve their backcourt. It was rumored New York was considering trading for Spurs PG Dejounte Murray, who ended up being dealt to the Hawks. Atlanta was forced to trade away three first-round draft picks and a pick swap to San Antonio to acquire Murray. And earlier this month, despite the Hawks coming off a disappointing 2022-23 season, they inked Murray to a four-year, $120 million extension.
And, of course, we know about the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes, which dominated headlines in New York. Having Brunson on the roster (and having faith he was about to establish himself as a stud) was undoubtedly a crucial factor in Leon Rose's decision to avoid giving up the farm for Mitchell, which certainly looked like a wise choice after the Knicks dominated the Cavs in the playoffs.
Looking forward, the presence of Brunson greatly decreases the chances of Rose and company foolishly trading for an overpaid player such as Karl-Anthony Towns. In years past, such a rash move would have been more likely, as the Knicks were desperate for talent and respectability. For years, New York was where bad contracts went to die. But with the team now legit contenders in the East, the immense pressure to make short-sighted win-now deals has evaporated.
What a difference a great point guard makes.
What a difference a year makes.
Last July, during his introduction to Knicks fans, Brunson declared: "I'm a person who's never going to quit. I've never quit. That's never been in my DNA," he promised. "Something about me is that it's about the little things for me. People see the stats and all that stuff, but the things that matter to me most [are] the little things like putting my body on the line for my teammates, diving on the ground, being that person that everyone can turn to saying, 'That guy is going to do everything he can to help this team win a game,'"
One year later - now in 2 A.B. - Knicks fans know he's for real. And that has made all the difference.