Jalen Brunson Gives His Assessment on New-Look 76ers Before Season Opener

The New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers out of the second round of the playoffs in May, but guard Jalen Brunson does not think that series says much about Tuesday's season opener at Madison Square Garden.

Brunson was asked after practice on Monday about scouting a Philadelphia roster that traded for forward Jaylen Brown from Boston in July and then signed forward LeBron James in free agency, and in video from the practice facility, he said, "I mean, they've got a lot of pieces, so it's not the same team."

According to the New York Daily News, Brunson said the scouting report has changed with the new roster, and he pointed out that other teams in the East added pieces as well.

Brown and James now join center Joel Embiid, guard Tyrese Maxey and guard VJ Edgecombe, so this is a very different group from the one that lost four straight games to the Knicks last spring.

Head coach Mike Brown has already said the new-look 76ers will push the rest of the league, and on Monday he said a lineup this talented means all five Knicks have to move together on defense.

The Knicks will hand out their rings before tip-off and raise the franchise's first championship banner in 53 years after beating the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals in June.

Brunson, the Finals MVP, said most if not all of the team has already turned the page, and he called the ceremony something to reflect on, not a fresh start.

Philadelphia rebuilt around two new stars while the Knicks kept their championship core together, and Brunson said in comments shared by SNY that bringing back so many core players is very valuable.

The main question for him is whether the Knicks are still hungry, and he expects that to be answered within the first couple of weeks.

Mike Brown brought up an old coaching line, according to the Daily News, that a team needs three All-Stars to win a title, and then he noted the Knicks technically won with two while Philadelphia now has four.

That math favors the Sixers on paper, but this group has not played a regular-season game together yet.

The Knicks are also healthy, as Mike Brown said nobody was held out of practice on Monday, including guard Josh Hart, who missed the preseason finale with ankle soreness.

League executives picked the Knicks to win the East again, and I don't see anything this week that should change that.

These teams meet twice in the Knicks' first six games, with a rematch in Philadelphia on Friday, Oct. 30, and I would trust that second game more, since the Sixers will have had time to sort out roles and Mike Brown will have seen how his rotation holds up against a full Philadelphia lineup.

Brunson is right that this is not the same team, and I would be surprised by another four-game sweep if they meet in the spring.

I still like the Knicks on Tuesday because they know exactly who they are, while the Sixers are still learning how to play with each other.