Jalen Brunson’s recent heroics have helped the New York Knicks clinch the play-off spot comfortably. Brunson was signed by the Knicks back in 2022, after which the franchise received major backlash for signing the 6’2 guard. The former Mavericks player has proved detractors wrong, becoming the leading scorer for the 3rd seeded Knicks.
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Brunson has even managed to impress Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, as the former Coach Of The Year recipient showered his guard with tons of praise after their recent match-up against the Celtics. Talking to the media, Thibodeau praised the All-Star guard,
“It’s a tribute to the way he works and who he is as a player… watching him grow up & see all the work that he’s put into the game.”
He added that everyone has naysayers but he’s proving them wrong,
“And the best thing is he thinks he can get better—and he will because it’s his mindset. He’s never satisfied, good enough is never good enough.”
It’s truly commendable when someone of Brunson’s stature can carry a team on its back, dragging an otherwise average team to the playoffs. We saw similar things from some of Thibodeau’s previous stars with Derrick Rose being a closer comparison to the shifty Knicks guard. But Thibodeau feels like Brunson’s run is somewhat different, as the former Bulls coach sees the 27-year-old as more of a team player than his previous stars. Adding to his comments, Thibodeau further told the media,
“He’s just a great player. He is. And what he’s doing for the team—he’s impacting winning in a great way. The numbers are staggering, and then the winning is the winning. But to also have the humility to go along with that, I think makes him endearing to his teammates. And we’re lucky to have him.”
Brunson’s approach to the guard position is almost Iversoneaque. The 6’2 guard plays hard and doesn’t show an iota of fear while attacking the rim. Brunson’s effort on both ends of the ball makes Brunson the poster child for “effort”, even making someone as critical as Tibedou shower the 27-year-old with adoration.
Kendrick Perkins doubles down on Knicks take
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins is loving the rise of Jalen Brunson with Perkins even doubling down on his previous take about Brunson being the best point guard in the league. That’s right, Perkins believes that Brunson is the leading player at the point guard position, even doubling down on his previous take Perkins said the following about Brunson after the 6’2 guard’s recent exploits against the Celtics,
“About three weeks ago, I said that Jalen Brunson is the best point guard in the league…Then all of a sudden he starts taking his game to another level…Every time he goes against another person’s favourite player, he comes out victorious in great fashion”.
Jalen Brunson has undoubtedly been in incredible form as of late, in fact, Brunson is coming off back-to-back 35+ point performances against the Celtics and The Nets. While New York has managed to secure a top 3 seed in this year’s playoffs, the Knicks will be heading into the postseason without their marquee player Julius Randle, as the Knicks forward continues to deal with shoulder problems.
