Rick Brunson pointed to his Apple Watch when asked how he was going to see his son play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. Brunson, an assistant coach for the Timberwolves, was at the Garden, where Minnesota outlasšted the Knicks 108-104. His son, Jalen Brunson, is the starting point guard for top-seeded Villanova, which advanced to the Elite Eighąµ©t with a 90-78 triumph over West Virginia in an East Region semifinal in Boston.
āIāll keep an eye on things,ā tšhe elder Brunson, said, still pointing to the watch.
It wonāt be long before Jź§alen Brunson, a junior, is in the NBA. The question is whether the Knicks will still be in the market for a point guard when he declares for the draft. Right now, the Knicks arenāt plannšÆing to alter the rotation of their three-headed experiment that features Frank Ntilikina and Trey Burke coming off the bench behind starter Emmanuel Mudiay.
Burke has clearly performed best of the three, scoring 15 points Friday night, while Ntilikiļæ½ļæ½na had 13. Mudiay started, but played only five minutes befš¦ore leaving the game for good without scoring a point. Burke also had nine assists. Mudiay is nursing a sprained ankle, but the injury had nothing to do with his extended time on the bench Friday night.
āWe didnāt get off to a š»great start and those otheš·r guys came in and got us back in the game and got us life,ā Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said.
Despite Burkeās numbers, those calling for him to be promoted to the starting lineup can save their breath. The Knicksā deš cision-makers prefer Burke coming off the bencš¤Ŗh, adding instant energy and scoring.
āWe like him coming off the bench,ā a source familiar with the Knicksā thinking said. āThe better qušÆestion is who should start between Ntilikina and Mudiay?ā
Though Hornacek would not commit to starting Mudiay againsš°t the Wizards on Sunday, donāt expect much of a change in the overall rotation, at least not until training camp arrives and Mudiay and Ntilikina have had an offseason to build their bodies. The Knicks think Ntilikina will benefit from an offseason in the teamās strength and conditioning program and more competition against NBA-level players.
āHe just needs to grow and lš„earn,ā the source said.
Mudiay needs to get in shape, a theme that has been repeated since he was acquired in a trade-deadline deal for Doug McDermott anš¦d a 2018 second-rounder. With the Knicks sounding like they plan to keep Burke, and Burke sounding like he wants to stay, it looks like the organization will return all three guards for the 2018-2019 season.
Thatās not exactly a rš¼eassuring thought given the way the Knicks have performed since Mudiayās arrival. None of the three guards has proven he can lead a teamź§ to the playoffs. That doesnāt mean time and experience wonāt improve things. But by then, Jalen Brunson could be a better option.
Rick Brunson, who had two stints with the Knicks during a nine-year NBA career, said finding a quality point gušøard shouldnāt be as hard as finding ą·“a franchise quarterback.
āI think point guards are born. I donāt think theyāre made,ā he said. āI think us as NBA guys, we fall in love with these 6-6 athletic guards who arenāt true point guards and try to make them what theyāre not. Also everyone wants to be a scorer. No one wants š¦to be a leadš er. No one wants to be a facilitator.ā
Jalen Brunson is a combination of all three Knicks guards. He doesnāt have Ntilikinaās length, but he can defend. He can score like Burke and he operates his team better than Mudiayź§ does his.
āI tried to make my son understand the game of basketbź§all,ā the elder Brunson said. āItās not about how fast you are or how much you can score. Itās about how smart you are; how you run your team; šhow you lead your team. Thatās the guy you need to help your team win.ā
Thatās the guy the Knicks are searching for.