Brunson 'overconfident' Knicks can take next step
Despite falling short of leading the Knicks to their first Finals appearance in over 25 years, Jalen Brunson remains unwavering in his belief that this New York squad can win an NBA title.
"The most confidence. Overconfident," Brunson told reporters after the Knicks' playoff run ended with Saturday's Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
"Seriously, there's not an ounce of any type of doubt that I'm not confident with this group."
Brunson led the conference finals in scoring, tallying 30.7 points per game.
But his efforts weren't enough to push the Knicks over the Pacers, who also eliminated New York in the second round last year.
The familiar results follow a 2024 offseason in which the Knicks made several big swings in pursuit of a championship. The front office dealt five first-round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, then traded All-Star Julius Randle and sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns in October. Towns recorded 24.8 points per contest in the series versus Indiana, while Bridges averaged 15.8 points.
Following Saturday's disappointment, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau admitted that this upcoming summer will be critical for the organization.
"Like you would do after every season, you take a step back, I think decompress, you do a deep dive on the team, and then you analyze what you think you need to improve upon. ... It's a big offseason for us," Thibodeau said.
The Knicks are projected to be a luxury tax team in 2025-26, with $200 million already committed to next season's roster and nine players headed to free agency, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
New York hasn't appeared in a Final since 1999 and hasn't won a championship since 1973.