Mike Brown Says Why Jalen Brunson Is a Valuable Leader for Knicks

The New York Knicks closed out their preseason on Thursday night with a 122-120 win over the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden, and SNY shared a clip the same day of head coach Mike Brown explaining why guard Jalen Brunson means so much to this group beyond his scoring.

Brown first pointed to how much Brunson studies the game before he moved on to the work that backs up everything his captain says to teammates.

In that video, Brown said Brunson walks the talk, works extremely hard and strives for perfection, and he explained that being looked upon as the best player on the team "gives you credibility to tell somebody else when they're not giving their all."

Brown went on to say that being a leader can leave a player feeling like he is on an island, because teammates do not always enjoy being told to do something better and some of them will push back.

He said Brunson is not afraid of that moment and credited him with having the thick skin and toughness the job needs.

The Knicks ended a 53-year title drought last season when they beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, so every team on the schedule will be chasing them this season.

Teams that just won a title can get comfortable, and Brown has been open about wanting to see how this group handles a rough patch before it ever reaches one in a game that counts.

New York got a small taste of that in the preseason, as it lost its first four exhibition games before beating Toronto to finish 1-4.

Brown also told reporters that the season is like climbing a mountain where a team can gain a lot of ground and still get knocked back, and he said it is his job to tell the players when they are slipping off track.

Contract talk could add some tension too.

The Knicks paused extension talks before the season, so center Karl-Anthony Towns and guard Josh Hart will have to wait on new deals, with Hart making $21 million this season and the team holding an option for 2027-28.

Brunson has already shown he will back his teammates through that noise, and a captain who outworks everyone is the right person to keep it from turning into a distraction.

Brunson finished Thursday's game with 20 points and seven assists on 7-of-15 shooting, while Towns came close to a triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.

Hart was a late scratch with soreness in his right ankle, so forward Mohamed Diawara started in his place, but Brown told reporters he thinks Hart will play in the opener.

New York hosts the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

Brunson will hear plenty of talk about how big his own season can be, but I think his best work this year will come when he tells a teammate the truth and that teammate listens because he has watched Brunson put in the work first.