The Knicks’ All-Star guard still receives praise from Tom Thibodeau despite a shaky performance

It wasn’t the best game for Jalen Brunson (12 points, 4-13 FG), but that didn’t matter as the New York Knicks still dominated the Toronto Raptors 139-125. OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 31 points and the team had one of their strongest offensive performances of the season despite their captain’s struggles.

The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson still had a positive impact on the game despite their shooting issues

Despite Brunson’s inefficient night, head coach Tom Thibodeau still praised him for the way he impacted the game in other areas besides scoring:

“He’ll do whatever the game needs to win,” Thibodeau said (h/t SNY). “So I thought, you know, we built a big lead and Jalen isn’t fighting the game. He reads the game very well and we brought some people into the game early. I thought he got the guys into a real rhythm.”

In addition to big games from Anunoby and Towns, Cameron Payne scored 19 points off the bench and Mikal Bridges contributed 14 points of his own, including four three-pointers. Brunson had seven assists on the night and was still +8 despite the poor shooting performance.

Brunson has taken a leap in terms of play this season

While Brunson has still taken on a lot of scoring responsibility this season (24.6 points per game), he has changed his game to be more of a facilitator with the other elite players around him. As a result, he is averaging 7.6 assists per game, the highest of his career, a mark that ranks 10th best in the NBA.

Playmaking had been a weakness for the Knicks in recent years, as they never had anyone to oversee the offense and get the other players involved. This season has been a completely different story and has resulted in the Knicks being one of the best offenses in the league. Additionally, all five starters are averaging double-digit points, a sign that the ball is finding its way to everyone on the field.

Brunson hopes to overcome his shooting issues on Christmas Day when he and the Knicks take on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.