Knicks offense – With the Knicks lacking ball-handling depth, Atlanta’s defense forces Jalen Brunson into heavy work—leaving the offense stagnant and wearing him down.
ATLANTA — The Knicks have a familiar look right now: Jalen Brunson at the center of almost everything, while the rest of the lineup waits for him to create.
That imbalance is starting to feel less like a matchup problem and more like a structural weakness the Hawks can consistently attack—one possession at a time.
A plan meant to reduce Brunson’s burden
Coach Mike Brown’s stated goal this season was to get Brunson playing more off the ball. The concept was simple: if more players could help facilitate, Brunson wouldn’t have to do the full orchestration job every night.
The intention wasn’t just about saving Brunson for the late stages.. It was also about keeping teammates involved and generating easier shots in ways that aren’t only dependent on Brunson beating pressure.. In the first three games of this first-round series, though, that element has largely disappeared.
Brown even acknowledged that Atlanta did a good job defending the few times the Knicks managed to call those actions. The Knicks aren’t abandoning the idea—they’re being forced to keep trying to implement it within the flow of what they can execute against a defense that’s clearly prepared.
The Knicks’ offense lacks creators beyond Brunson
The core issue is that the Knicks don’t have a natural second wave of ball-handlers who can consistently create and organize the offense the way Brunson does.
Josh Hart can run, but it isn’t his ideal role. OG Anunoby is most valuable as a spot-up threat. Karl-Anthony Towns can pass, yet the offense still needs someone who can break down a defense with repeated advantages—someone who can repeatedly get into the paint or turn a scramble into a clean look.
Mikal Bridges. after being viewed as the top candidate for that expanded facilitating role. has struggled in that area. especially in Game 3 when turnovers piled up and his decision-making looked less reliable.. That matters because turnovers don’t just end possessions—they also erase opportunities for the offense to move on from a bad look and settle into rhythm.
When everyone waits, Atlanta can blitz and double
With Brunson carrying the largest offensive load, the Knicks’ spacing and movement become easier to predict. If the four other players are essentially standing and waiting for Brunson to create, Atlanta can tee up its pressure package.
That’s why the Hawks can blitz, send double-teams, and take away the high-quality shots Brunson usually tries to hunt. The result is a slower offense and fewer “flow” possessions—more of the kind that demand elite execution on every single touch.
In Game 3, Brunson’s numbers reflected that difficulty when Atlanta had specific defensive answers on him. Being forced into tactically uncomfortable spots isn’t just about missing shots; it’s about the cost of getting a shot you can live with.
Depth at point guard simply isn’t there
A second problem amplifies the first: the Knicks don’t have a true backup point guard in the rotation.
McBride and Landry Shamet have handled it at times, but neither profiles as a natural orchestrator.. Jose Alvarado can run the offense, yet his limited offensive impact has kept him on the fringe.. Tyler Kolek is completely out of the rotation. which means the Knicks can’t lean on a different playmaking voice to relieve pressure on Brunson.
And that lack of relief shows up in a way fans can feel even if they don’t track lineups: Brunson is asked to bring the ball into the halfcourt over and over again, at moments when he’s already been chased and prepped by Atlanta’s defense.
The defensive price: Brunson also has to guard CJ McCollum
Offense is only half the equation. Brunson is also being tasked defensively in ways that add another layer of physical and mental wear.
Atlanta’s plan isn’t limited to putting him in the halfcourt. The Knicks have been forced to adjust their defensive coverage because CJ McCollum has torched him this series. When you change matchups like that, it’s usually because a primary assignment is no longer sustainable.
But sustainable for who? If Brunson is giving extra on one end and then returning to do nearly all creation on the other, the margin for error shrinks fast.
What McBride’s involvement shows—and what Bridges couldn’t replicate
The offense looked slightly more manageable at times when McBride was paired with Brunson in place of Bridges.. There were possessions during an extended Knicks run where McBride could bring the ball up the floor. letting Brunson arrive at the halfcourt with a bit more freshness—and with less demand to create from scratch.
When Bridges tried that, the result was markedly different. That contrast suggests the Knicks don’t just need “help.” They need help that fits the role: a ball handler who can handle the first questions Atlanta asks and still keep the offense moving.
Why this matters for the rest of the series
Right now, the Knicks are in a cycle: Atlanta pressures the primary creator, the Knicks can’t reliably shift creation to another guard, and Brunson’s workload climbs.
Brown is trying to solve it by calling for plays that move Brunson off the ball and by asking the team to be more aggressive—especially with drives into the paint and the willingness to punish a defense with kick-outs when penetration stalls.
But execution matters, and the series so far has shown that the Hawks are ready. If the Knicks can’t create the kind of “sprays” and off-ball actions that keep the defense from stacking against Brunson, then the offense will keep looking stuck—because it is stuck.
For the remainder of this matchup, the question isn’t whether Brunson can keep delivering. It’s whether the Knicks can finally build a second engine that changes what Atlanta can do, and—just as importantly—how long it takes Brunson to get to the shots they want him to take.