Baron Davis reveals how the Knicks could help Jalen Brunson be more efficient, especially in the playoffs: “You need somebody that can handle pressure, bring the ball up” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have come close but haven’t been able to break through this season. After falling short in the past three playoff runs, Baron Davis believes he knows what’s missing, and more importantly, how to fix it.
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“At first, I didn’t, but he’s so cold, bro,” Davis told Paul George on “Podcast P” if he thought Brunson could be the first option on a championship team. “He’s so cold, you can’t f–k with this dude, bro. Nobody can stop him.”
BD’s description was pretty accurate. JB averaged 29.4 points in 18 games during the 2025 NBA playoffs, 3.4 points better than in the regular season. He flat-out carried the Knicks on offense in most games, dropping at least 30 in 10 of those contests.
Nonetheless, from Davis’s point of view, New York clearly lacks one key ingredient that would put Brunson in a better position to do what he does best.
Knicks’ weakness exposed by the Pacers
The 2025 Eastern Conference finals could have easily gone the other way if it were not for the wild comebacks the Indiana Pacers pulled off in the first two games. The Pacers escaped with a three-point overtime win in Game 1 after being down by 14 in the final two minutes and 50 seconds, and somehow did it again in Game 2.
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Indiana ultimately defeated New York in six games. The Pacers’ playstyle exposed what the Knicks clearly lacked, and if addressed going forward, at least for Davis, it could be an absolute game-changer.
“My problem with that series is if you watch what happened where Indiana was successful is (when the) half-court (line) started to become another defender and a problem for him,” “B-Diddy” explained. “So, bringing the ball up the court against pressure, then you get that pick-and-roll happening damn near right by half court. Even though the court got bigger and wider, his space got limited.”
Therefore, the solution is evident: Have one more creator alongside Brunson and let him do his thing.
“I think you need another guard. You need somebody that can handle pressure, bring the ball up. And if you put that dude (Brunson) on the block one-on-one down the stretch, you gotta double. It’s crazy that nobody can guard him. He’s so crafty,” Davis stated with a slight chuckle.
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Playing off the ball
Davis’s idea of playing Brunson off the ball is not a new concept. For instance, Chandler Parsons and Charles Barkley implored the Knicks’ left-handed point guard to let others set the table, allowing for more rhythm and ball movement.
Unlike his peers, however, Davis believed it was out of necessity for Brunson to handle the ball in the majority of Knicks possessions.
“Nobody on the Knicks outside of Jalen Brunson could bring the ball up the court,” observed “Boom Dizzle.” “That’s the only reason why they lost. Indiana puts pressure, you turn the ball over. Indiana puts pressure, you extend your offense… They tearing the clock up, so he dribbling, he got the ball the whole shot clock. He can’t even get off the ball, push off, get some space and now have a live dribble.”
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For Davis, all of that was a microcosm of the issue the Knicks faced. He mentioned coaching and the need for personnel to put Brunson in a better position to get his offense going.
If New York does not address those glaring issues moving forward, the team will be right back in the same spot, leaning on Brunson to do everything while falling short when it matters most. For Davis, the current setup asks him to do too much, too often, with too little help.
The Knicks have their star. Now it’s about building a system that doesn’t leave him doing it all alone.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.