Jalen Brunson has strong first preseason game as Knick

Jalen Brunson grew up rooting for the Knicks, one of the eight teams his father, Rick, played for in a nine-season NBA career, and both Brunsons are aiming to enjoy success together after joining forces in New York. 

The point guard played at Madison Square Garden in a Knicks uniform for the first time Tuesday night, and Brunson provided a glimpse of why he was signed to a four-year contract worth $104 million in free agency during a 117-96 win over the Pistons in the preseason opener for both teams. Brunson was organized and efficient, finishing with 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting. He also had five assists, one turnover and a plus-21 rating over 20 minutes. 

“It’s a preseason game, but it’s a game nonetheless, and I was preparing myself as if it was a real game,” Brunson said after the game. “That’s how I approach every single game. 

“It was good. Happy we started off the preseason right with a win, taking a step in the right direction, but still a lot of things we can improve on. I’d rather learn from a win than learn from a loss, so just continue to get better.” 

RJ Barrett netted a team-high 21 points and Julius Randle added 15 for the Knicks, who next will play the Pacers at home on Friday. 

New backup center Isaiah Hartenstein also nailed two 3-pointers and finished with eight points, while Derrick Rose scored three in six minutes of limited duty off the bench. It was Rose’s first game since last Dec. 16 after he underwent multiple ankle surgeries. 

Cam Reddish suffered an ankle injury late in the first half and did not return. 

“A lot of good things, the start of the game, and I liked the way we started the third quarter, same thing, the unselfishness, and it starts with [Brunson],” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “When he gets us going and we can get stops and get up the floor and then share the ball, then the game becomes easy for everyone.” 

Earlier Tuesday, the Knicks didn’t get much love in the NBA’s annual general managers survey, which wasn’t surprising as they were coming off a 37-45 step-back season following a surprising return to the playoffs the previous year. 

Brunson, whose father was added this summer to Thibodeau’s coaching staff, was voted as the No. 3 best offseason acquisition in the NBA. But that signing wasn’t viewed by the league’s GMs as nearly enough to vault the Knicks into the projected top-six playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. The picks for those teams are the Bucks, the Celtics, the 76ers, the Nets, the Heat and the Cavaliers. 

Cleveland ended up landing the Knicks’ primary offseason target, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, in a trade with the Jazz weeks after Brunson was signed as a free agent in July. 

“I don’t think we have to lower our expectations. I think it starts with us in the locker room: How do we want to take that information?” Brunson said. “Deep down we know people are doubting us. How can we prove to ourselves we’re the type of team we want to be?” 

Brunson was the lone change to the starting five from last season, and he said he has been learning about his fellow projected starters Barrett, Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Evan Fournier. 

Asked what he hoped to get out of his preseason playing time, Brunson said: “Exactly that, getting to know the guys a little more, a feel, a rhythm, just building chemistry. … This is our first step.” 

Brunson received the biggest ovation during pregame introductions and he responded with a strong first quarter, hitting three of his first four shots and totaling six points and three assists over the first nine minutes. Brunson also drew three charges. 

Second-year guard Miles McBride registered three of his six steals in the first half. The Knicks carried a 65-53 lead into intermission and didn’t look back. 

“Look, it’s the first preseason game, so we’re not gonna get carried away,” Thibodeau said. “There’s a lot of things we have to clean up and get better at, but it’s a good first step. It gives us a baseline of where we are. And there’s a lot of work for us to do going forward.”