The New York Knicks enter the 2024-25 season with real expectations for the first time in years.
The Knicks might not be championship favorites, but with a deep, talented, revamped roster, the Knicks are potential contenders to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Make it to the NBA's Final Four, and anything can happen from there.
If the Knicks fall short of the Conference Finals, the season may very well be looked at as a disappointment.
However, Jalen Brunson, the leader of the Knicks, is not setting his sights on a championship or making any specific postseason round.
Instead, as Brunson said on "The Mark Jackson Show," he pushes the team to stay focused on short-term goals.
"I would say the biggest goal for us is to focus on one day at a time," Brunson said. "When you start to think about the future and what you can do and obviously trying to win a championship, I think that's when things can get dicey. Not saying that we can't do it, but I hate looking past all of the opportunities and all of the obstacles that we have to get through to be the best team we can be. And so, if you focus on one day at a time and on one game at a time, seeing where we are throughout the year, it will help us be a better team at the end of the year, first and foremost."
Brunson continued, saying the team has a hunger that he thinks will serve them well this season.
"Being able to get these guys in the gym this summer, seeing everybody working on their game this summer, has definitely been a great sight to see for us, because everybody has a hunger," Brunson said. "And so no one's really complacent. Everybody on our team has been doubted at some point in their NBA career. So having these guys around on this team, we all have the same kind of mindset, which is that we want to win, and we want to win here in New York. So, it's going to be a task to do, but we have guys who are willing and want to do it and do whatever it takes."
Since arriving in New York, Brunson has often been praised for his leadership skills. Those around the team often say Brunson strikes the right balance of working hard and staying humble, but also remaining confident and keeping the locker room together.
His answer on the podcast is another example of that. If the Knicks take the court in October already looking ahead to May, they may very well stumble during the season.
Instead, Brunson is focused on improving one game at a time. It's a sports cliche, but the Knicks seem to embody it. In each of the last two seasons, the Knicks have finished the regular season strong.
Now, in a year where they have real playoff goals, Brunson's focus and patience should help them gradually build toward the postseason, instead of trying to race there.
Watch Brunson's answer below: