“Sucks man. Simple as that. It sucks.” Jalen Brunson was more than devastated after he failed to keep the Knicks’ season alive last night. Facing elimination, all eyes were on him heading into Game 6, hoping that he would save the day once again and live up to the Clutch Player of the Year tag. However, Brunson could not answer the call, finishing with only 19 points and seven assists—his lowest score of the East Finals.

Following the season-ending loss, JB reacted the way everyone expected him to. Like a true leader, he threw himself under the bus, taking accountability for his team’s struggles. When asked about the Knicks’ 17 turnovers, Jalen said, “I mean I saw a lot of breakaways. It’s probably the reason why they were able to extend the lead and throughout the series.” He even brought up his past mistakes, “We could start with Game 1. The play when I passed to OG and then the turnover right there.”

Game 1 was arguably the hardest loss for the Knicks to process because they blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead at MSG, which tarnished their momentum for the entire series. Further taking the blame for his team’s loss, he added, “It’s just something that I have to be able to control. I always talk about controlling things that I can control and that’s one of them. I wasn’t able to do that throughout the series and I wasn’t able to give my teammates and team an opportunity to go out there and win more games. So, yeah, it’s terrible on our part. Terrible on my part, excuse me.”

However, these comments might sound a bit different from what he said after the Game 4 loss. Back then, he had called the entire team undisciplined, including himself, saying that it’s “black and white” just like that. In that game, it was the turnovers that cost the game, but also Josh Hart’s availability. Therefore, it was a combination of factors then, and it is the same case if you look at their overall run.

So, while Jalen blamed himself, his performance in this series was not that disappointing. In fact, apart from last night’s game, he was the most consistent player on the Knicks’ squad. He averaged 33 points and over five assists in the first five games. So, where did the problem truly lie? Enter Karl-Anthony Towns!

Concerns rise for Karl-Anthony Towns as Knicks’ frustration with his defensive habits emerges

When the Knicks gave up several stars including Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo last summer in exchange for KAT, they expected him to be the missing piece that gets them over the hump. And he lived up to those expectations during the regular season to some extent, averaging 24.4 points and a career high 12.8 rebounds. But when the playoffs arrived, Towns failed to carry that momentum to the big stage.

While he had decent offensive production, KAT’s defensive habits reportedly became a major concern for the Knicks. He was in constant foul trouble during the East Finals, leaving Tom Thibodeau with no option but to sub him out in crucial moments. Turns out, these frequent mistakes led to tensions in the locker room, as reported by The Athletic following last night’s loss.

“Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.” The report stated.

If that’s the case, their superstar being out of sync with the rest of the team would be a major concern for the Knicks heading into the offseason. Despite the seemingly rising locker room tensions, Brunson surprisingly continues to have faith in his team.

He believes they have what it takes to eventually reach the ultimate goal, “The most confidence. Overconfident, seriously. There is not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m not confident with this group.” That’s what makes him a great leader. Do you agree?