The Knicks dropped their third consecutive game Sunday against Orlando, joining the 2011-12 Mavericks as the only defending champions to start a season 0-3. They're getting outscored and outplayed across the board, which brings us to Jalen Brunson.
Brunson owns the offensive struggles. "Everything falls on my shoulders," he said after the loss. That's the honest assessment from a point guard who was brought in to run this offense and put the team in position to repeat. Instead, the Knicks are spiraling early, and Brunson isn't deflecting blame.
For a team with title aspirations, this opening stretch is a disaster. The defending champs aren't supposed to lose three straight to start October. Brunson taking responsibility matters because the Knicks need him to find answers fast. The roster around him hasn't delivered yet, but he's the engine. If he doesn't run it better, this hole gets deeper.