New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson could give the Indiana Pacers a fit in the conference finals, but they may have a solution. Last year, the Pacers put Aaron Nesmith on Brunson in the playoffs, which worked well for them. However, doing so is tricky as it will force Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard to guard guys like Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. This would give New York a size edge in the series, which makes this a risky move for the Pacers.
The Pacers have gotten this far due to their playstyle and ability to execute their gameplan. This will have to remain true for them to send the Knicks home and make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. First order of business for Indiana will be deciding how to remove Brunson from the equation as much as possible. Indiana may have their solution, but whether it is too risky for them is something that they will have to decide soon.
Jalen Brunson has been fantastic in the playoffs
While it is a surprise to most, the Knicks found their way to the conference finals over teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, who each finished with better records. However, the Knicks did not get this far by accident as they have gotten tremendous play from Brunson so far.
Through 12 games so far this season, the Villanova alum is averaging 28.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. Additionally, he is shooting 44% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the arc in those games. The Knicks are a talented team, but they will only go as far as Brunson will take them, and up to this point, he has taken them pretty far. In order for the Pacers to advance, they must game-plan around Brunson as much as they can.
It will be interesting to see what head coach Rick Carlisle opts to do. Putting Nesmith on Brunson worked last year, and it would make sense to go right back to it this time around. However, the Knicks have other legitimate weapons on their team as well, and that could be what ends the Pacers' season.
So far this postseason, Carlisle has given fans multiple reasons to put their trust in him. His gameplans and strategies helped the Pacers send the Milwaukee Bucks and Cavaliers home early, and he is more than capable of doing the same to the Knicks.