The New York Knicks have a good problem to deal with.
The New York Knicks have assembled a starting lineup that plenty have considered the best in the entire NBA. Head coach Tom Thibodeau plays the starting five like they are the best in the league, too, giving them all a heavy load of minutes.
Evidently, the Knicks’ key acquisitions last year have all paid off. They traded for OG Anunoby during last season, which was a big boost mid-season. This past offseason, they added Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, both through trade.
New York is one of the most talented teams in the NBA, though they are currently 26-14 and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. As they continue to mesh and build chemistry, they will separate themselves into a tier below the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference, but much better than the teams below them.
With superstar guard Jalen Brunson leading the way, there is a debate out for question — who is the most impactful player on the Knicks’ roster?
Chandler Parsons claims whether Brunson or Towns is the more impactful Knick
Evidently, the duo of Brunson and Towns is one of the best across the league, and it should be that way. The superstar guard playing alongside a 7-footer with a remarkable skillset and floor-spacing ability is a great recipe to success, especially being surrounded by three-and-D wings.
However, which of those two players is the more impactful Knick? From a standpoint of team success, it could really go either way. Brunson and Towns score at a similar rate, though, so the gravity of their scoring combined with additional impact matters plenty.
Former NBA veteran and current analyst Chandler Parsons took to “Run it Back” to give his verdict on the matter, claiming Brunson is the more impactful Knicks star.
“The things he’s done in the short amount of time he’s been there, it’s Jalen Brunson’s team, it’s Jalen Brunson’s city,” Parsons said.
“Now, you can argue there’s more depth in the position with Jalen Brunson, at least he’s got the Miles McBride’s, the Cam Payne’s, Josh Hart, Bridges, even those guys can play point guard. And the Knicks would be extremely thin without KAT.
“They would really struggle without his size and his versatility and his shooting [but] it’s Jalen Brunson all the way.
“He’s the best player on their team. He was the best player on their team last year and he’s continuing to do that this year even when you add an All-NBA superstar like KAT.”
Regardless of who is more important, the Knicks are in a good spot
No matter who is the more important Knicks star, it’s more impactful that they are on the same squad with skillsets and abilities to complement one another. New York has plenty of talent, and the bulk of production runs through those two.
As long as Brunson and Towns can continue to play high-level basketball alongside one another, the rest of the kinks can be worked out on their own. They don’t need to be 1a and 1b, they simply need to be the stars that they are to contribute to winning basketball.
Right now, it feels as if the NBA has three true contenders, those being the Celtics, Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks are knocking on the door of joining them, but they’ve got to level up as a squad, and they’re certainly capable of doing such with their current roster.
The Knicks are well-positioned, and with Brunson and Towns peaking at the right time, what they can accomplish on the season has no limits.
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