Jalen Brunson made his preseason debut with the Knicks as he scored 16 points, grabbed 1 rebound and dished out 5 assists in 19 minutes of play. New York defeated Detroit 117-96.
Knicks head coach Tim Thibodeau was delighted with what he see from the point guard. He praised Brunson after the game, saying that he can do everything on the court.
“I think that’s who he is. Jalen can provide whatever you need,” Thibodeau said, per Tim Bontemps. “If you need more scoring, he can do that. If you need more playmaking, he can do that. If you need him to create pace and create movement, he can do that. If you need a big 3, a big shot, he can do that. I love the way he can control and manage a game. And to me, that’s the number one function of a point guard. He doesn’t get sped up, he doesn’t get rattled it’s a calming influence.”
Last season the 26-year-old point guard averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 31.9 minutes per game for the Mavericks.
