It has been an unfavorable start to the season for New York Knicks Superstar point guard Jalen Brunson. With a bad Detroit Pistons team next on their schedule on Friday, this is the game the team would like to see their captain turn things around.

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson has had a pretty slow start to the season

Through the first four games of the season, Brunson is averaging 22.8 points and 5.8 assists per game, but his efficiency is below his usual marks, shooting 44% from the floor overall. The last two games have been particularly difficult for him, as he shot 33% from the field in both games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Brunson stirred up the scoring in the second half on Wednesday against the Heat with 18 second-half points, but it took him a while to really get into a rhythm with his shot.

The positive thing about his start to the year is that his assist numbers are trending upward, with seven against the Cavaliers and a season-high nine against the Heat. In addition, Karl-Anthony Towns was able to take over on Wednesday against Miami with a master class of 44 points and 13 rebounds. Despite the poor shooting, it’s still good to see Brunson making an impact as a facilitator, an area of ​​his game in which he’s still growing.

However, the Knicks will need Brunson to speed things up and come out of this mini cold snap against a Pistons team that has been the worst in the league in recent seasons. Detroit has quietly been a better defense than New York to start the season, with opponents scoring just 110.6 points per game in its first five games compared to the 111.8 points allowed by New York.

Knicks’ success in transition may give Brunson better scoring opportunities

The Knicks have also allowed the fourth-worst field goal percentage so far this season, with their opponents shooting 48.4% from the field, although that number is likely inflated due to the Boston Celtics record three-point barrage on opening night. However, the Pistons are struggling to take care of the basketball, having committed an average of 16 turnovers per game to start. The Knicks excel at scoring in transition and off turnovers, which can benefit Brunson in achieving a much cleaner look for himself and his teammates.

Additionally, after Towns’ big game against Miami, the Pistons will have to pay close attention to him on the court, giving Brunson the ideal one-on-one matchup for him to operate in when executing his sets. From now on, however, Towns is doubtful for the game due to a sprained left wristso they must prepare for the possibility of losing their All-Star center.

Given the imbalance of the matchup, this game serves as a “do the right thing” game for Brunson. While his start to the year isn’t the worst of starts, it’s uncharacteristic of what most Knicks fans are used to. A big game from Brunson will erase any major concerns surrounding him going forward. The game against the Pistons will begin at 7 pm EST on Friday.