Knicks writer suggests Jalen Brunson, 6-foot-3 former 6MOY pair as backcourt scoring force

With the 2025-26 NBA season set to begin shortly, plenty of contending teams will be aiming to experiment with new lineup configurations to potentially discover a formidable grouping of key players.

The New York Knicks could certainly subscribe to the idea of testing out new combinations both in the frontcourt and backcourt with the hope of further raising their 'Finals-or-bust' expectations.

For the latter of their options, one NBA writer has already proposed a unique idea for the Knicks to form a fantastic offensive backcourt with two score-first guards. The only problem is that the pair of guards might not be able to remain on the floor long due to their challenges on the defensive side of the ball.

"Malcolm Brogdon’s sudden retirement has left the New York Knicks to experiment with different secondary backcourts," FanSided's Dan Favale wrote Sunday.

"It’s a mission that will include lots of trial-and-error, and perhaps plenty of minutes with Jalen Brunson playing beside Jordan Clarkson."

"Playing Brunson and Clarkson together could just be a blip, something random borne out of preseason circumstances that we hardly ever see when games matter. On the flip side, it could also be a duo that drives New York’s vision for Brunson’s offensive role."

Though the prospect of the NBA's 2025 Clutch Player of the Year (Brunson) and 2021 Sixth Man of the Year (Clarkson) joining forces in the Knicks' backcourt is an entertaining one, the undersized duo would be feasted upon by opposing offenses.

For example, it's hard to believe that this possible pairing could put up a fight against the Cleveland Cavaliers' star-studded tandem of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell throughout the regular season and especially in a postseason setting.

Despite their proven scoring capabilities, Brunson and Clarkson hold an average -1.2 career defensive box plus-minus heading into the 2025-26 campaign, and both players have a hard time surviving the eye test when it comes to their defensive productivity due in large part to their 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-3 statures, respectively.

For that reason, it's unlikely that newly-minted head coach Mike Brown would throw both players in the same packages very often throughout the incoming season.

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