John Salley believes the Knicks didn’t know how to preserve Jalen Brunson for the playoffs: “They don’t have the things they needed to keep his body fresh” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The New York Knicks looked like they were headed to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 after dethroning the defending champions Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. However, New York ran into a brick wall during the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were stunned by the Indiana Pacers.
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The Pacers stole Games 1 and 2 at Madison Square Garden and finished off the Knickerbockers in six games to advance to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Looking back, former Detroit Pistons center John Salley thinks that the Knicks lost because they did not keep superstar guard Jalen Brunson fresh for a deep playoff run, and he faltered toward the end.
“I think Jalen Brunson is a great player, but I don’t think they knew how to nourish his body because, in the last two games, he looked spent. It looked like he was tired, and they figured him out. That right there is, it being New York, I just don’t think, I know they don’t have the things they needed to keep his body fresh. That’s what I feel,” said Salley.
Brunson played 40+ minutes six times in the first two rounds of the playoffs
Keeping the Knicks’ stars fresh was always the challenge in the Tom Thibodeau era because Thibs is known to use a short rotation and squeeze everything he can get from his best players. However, if you examine the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, Brunson averaged only 35.5 minutes per game, which is lower than his playoff average in a Knicks uniform. However, if you check out the previous two series, Brunson did a lot of heavy lifting to get to the ECF.
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Jalen averaged 40.0 minutes per game in their first-round series against the Detroit Pistons, which went the whole seven-game route. Then, against the Boston Celtics, Brunson logged in an average of 38.3 minutes per game. He played at least 40 minutes three times in each series, so heading to the ECF, there was already heavy mileage on the Brunson Burner.
JB still had four 30-point games in six played against the Indiana Pacers. However, he shot below 50 percent from the field in four out of those six games, below 35 percent from 3-point range in three out of the series’ last four games, and took only six total free throws in the previous two games. In the series-clincher, he struggled on 8-18 shooting with only 19 points while also committing five turnovers. Those numbers seem to suggest that he was indeed tired.
ESPN report said that Thibs was fired because of Brunson’s usage
Shortly after Thibodeau was fired, an ESPN report from Ramona Shelburne suggested that Leon Rose pulled the plug on Thibs because they were concerned about Brunson’s long-term health. Brunson missed a handful of games this season due to ankle and calf injuries, suggesting his body might not hold up to Thibodeau’s heavy minutes.
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“One league source suggested history could serve as a warning precedent — that Brunson, who missed games this season because of ankle and calf injuries, would struggle to hold up long term without a more layered or balanced offensive system, just as Derrick Rose had faltered when he played for Thibodeau in Chicago,” wrote Shelburne.
Rose had a usage rate of 28.2 under Thibodeau, including above 30 in the two seasons before he tore his ACL in the playoffs. Brunson’s current usage as a Knick is at 29.9 and that number balloons to 32.2 in the playoffs. No matter how they deny it, fatigue played a factor in Brunson’s struggles in the ECF, especially in Game 6.
Thibs did an excellent job for the Knicks. But in doing so, he pushed his players too far. And yeah, while there has been an outcry about his firing, Leon Rose may have prolonged Jalen Brunson’s career and saved him from a possible career-altering injury.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.