The New York Knicks locked down their starting five for several years following the extension of Mikal Bridges’ contract.
Mikal Bridges’ future with the New York Knicks was a major topic of discussion as the franchise delayed signing him a new contract extension.
However, the Knicks and the Bridge recently reached a four-year, $150 million agreement to maintain a 28-year-old security guard in New York.
After re-signing the bridge to a long-term deal, the front office is one less worried about heading into the 2025-26 NBA season.
However, 2016 NBA champion Iman Shumpert believes that superstar Jalen Branson needs to make a big difference in his playing style to truly make a difference.
“It’s all about playing with toys when it comes to that. … When they’re on the court together, he should know how to play with his toys,” Shumpert said via today (H/T NBA_NEWYORK).
He added: “Like I love Jalen Brunson, I think his use must go down a little in order to thrive and if you want to produce the most.”
Due to context, last season, Branson had a 29.4% utilization with the Knicks. Obviously he had the highest usage rate on the team, with Karl Anthony town in second place (27.3%).
Branson averaged 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per Knicks game, but the exhaustion that got him into playoff time was the Knicks’ playoff time as they struggled to be sent off in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Branson has been selected as an NBA All-Star in the past two seasons. Obviously, tweaking many of his games could lead to a disaster for the Knicks.
Therefore, Shumpert said that Branson should control the ball whenever necessary.
“We don’t want it to happen at the wrong time. You still want him to be him. You want the ball to be dominant… But when you say, choose your spot, we’re talking – the fourth quarter,” he continued.
“Through the game, you can share a little more sugar. I think it has to be conscious for Jalen Branson,” Schumpert said.
With all that in mind, Shumpert hopes to call Branson when it’s time to dial down it, rather than seeking help from new head coach Mike Brown.