New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has acknowledged a dip in his performance to start the season, with his field goal percentage at 39.3%, 3-point percentage at 33.3%, and free-throw percentage at 73.2%. These figures are significantly lower than his previous season and would represent the worst of his career in field goal and 3-point percentage if they hold. Brunson, however, downplays any complex reasons for the slump, stating plainly, "Missing shots. I normally make."
This shooting inefficiency comes after Brunson underwent offseason surgery to repair a tendon issue in his left wrist. He had noted before the season that the injury impacted his usual offseason training, leading to fewer shots taken. Despite this, Brunson is unwilling to use the surgery as an excuse for his current form, asserting that it has not affected his early-season play.
An analysis of Brunson's shot selection shows little change in the types of shots he is taking compared to last season, in terms of pull-ups versus catch-and-shoot opportunities, shot distance, and the percentage of open shots versus tightly covered ones. The data suggests that the quality of his shot selection has not declined.
However, there is a notable drop in Brunson's efficiency late in the shot clock. He is currently shooting 26.7% with four to seven seconds remaining on the shot clock and 35.7% with less than four seconds remaining. This is a significant decrease from last year, when he shot 48.8% and 46.6% in those same situations, respectively. Brunson's ability to create tough shots late in possessions has historically been a key element of the Knicks' offense and a demoralizing factor for opponents.
This individual struggle is part of a broader trend for the Knicks' offense, which ranks second-to-last in the NBA in shooting efficiency from seven to four seconds left on the shot clock (30.4%) and last in efficiency with less than four seconds remaining (26.5%).
Coach Mike Brown echoed Brunson's sentiment, stating that the guard is taking similar shots to those he has made in the past. "In my opinion, he’s just missing shots. He’s taking the right shots," Brown said. "Right now, they’re not going in. And that can be for this reason, that reason, I don’t know, and I’m not going to try to overanalyze it. As long as they keep taking the right shots, keep working on the shots, I think eventually they’re gonna fall sooner than later."
Brown, who has coached numerous elite scorers, indicated that such shooting slumps are not uncommon. "It happens to the best of them because everybody is definitely human and every human has their ups and their downs when it comes to shooting," he said. "That’s why we have to keep embracing the little things, because they’re not gonna always fall."
While Brunson's current struggles are unusual, Brown believes that if the shot selection remains consistent, the results are likely to follow in time.