An all-new Jalen Brunson is on display for the Knicks’ next era

Perhaps the results were not as desired. But the process soon became clear.

Numbers from The Knicks won 119-111 in their opener over the Cavaliers Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden showed how much Jalen Brunson’s role has changed in the offense.

He finished with 23 points but shot 5-for-18 from the field and 1-for-9 from 3-point range. However, the way he got those shots showed coach Mike Brown’s desire for Brunson to play more off the ball.

Seven of those nine three-pointers were 3-pointers, according to the NBA’s official tracking stats, the most in any game he played with the Knicks.

According to PBP statistics, only 10 of the 18 field goal attempts (about 56 percent) were considered “self-made.” This is the lowest he has ever played in a game with the Knicks where he has taken at least 15 shots from the field.

Brunson averaged 4.26 dribbles and 4.7 seconds per touch — both of which were still team highs, but down significantly from his average of 6.04 dribbles per touch and 6.06 seconds per touch last season.

“It’s all about finding the right thing at the right time and reading each other and making plays,” Brunson said. “No matter who brings it up, everyone is still a threat of aggression.”

Brown wants to ease the burden on Brunson, allowing him to bring the ball up the court less and not always having to create his own shot.

Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride often lofted the ball when Brunson was on the field. There were even times when OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns took on that responsibility.

The first possession of the game represented a Browns vision as Towns was double-teamed and Brunson cut into the right corner. Towns threaded a pass to a wide-open Brunson for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer that he drilled.

“JB can play anywhere on the field,” Bridges said. “Even with his size, he can serve guys up as well. He can do almost anything. I think everyone on our team is talented and can do a lot of things, and we can all dribble, make the right read and try to do whatever it takes.”

Overall, the other stats show Brown’s desire for speed and ball movement. The Knicks had 105 possessions on Wednesday. Last year, they averaged 97.64 (fifth-lowest in the NBA).

They made 283 runs in the opener. Last year their average was 281.2. This isn’t a huge change, but there has been significant growth in secondary assists (a stat given to a player who passed the ball to another player who scored an assist within one second and without dribbling).

It’s a good indicator that multiple passes are being made quickly before the bucket. The Knicks had seven of them — the most of all teams in their first game. Last year, the Knicks averaged 3.6 points.