The New York Knicks and their current cohort of players have been on a generational run this season. For the first time since the 1990s, the Knicks seem like a legitimate title-contending team from the Eastern Conference. Jalen Brunson deserves much of the credit for this surreal resurgence of New York basketball, given how he has led the team and the organization back to relevancy. However, many had written the Knicks off earlier in the season, failing to foresee their potential in the long run.
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In December last year, former WNBA player Becky Hammon had dismissed Jalen Brunson’s potential to be ‘the dude’ to lead the Knicks to postseason success. During an ESPN NBA Today segment, she said that while the Knicks had the right tools to remain consistent, they could not rely on Brunson to guide them because of his size.
“They don’t have a dude…Brunson’s too small…If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” Hammon had remarked.
The veteran coach’s take was challenged by her fellow panelists Chiney Ogwumike and Kendrick Perkins, who reminded the former WNBA star of being a Hall of Famer herself despite her small size. However, Hammon responded by bringing up how great players like Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, and John Stockton are not NBA champions for the same reason.
Hammon was adamant on her belief that Brunson wasn’t suited to be a top-tier player. However, the Knicks star’s stats this season certainly seem to prove her wrong. As highlighted by the X fan account Knicks Muse, Brunson has had four consecutive 40+ point playoff games so far this year, a stat which hasn’t been replicated since Michael Jordan in the 1993 playoffs.
“They don’t have a dude. Brunson’s too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning."
Jalen Brunson Last 5 Playoff Games
39 PTS | 13 AST | 48% FG
47 PTS | 10 AST | 53% FG
40 PTS | 6 AST | 47% FG
41 PTS | 12 AST | 48% FG
43 PTS | 6 AST | 54% FG pic.twitter.com/ABtEMXZl4g— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 7, 2024
Brunson’s brilliance was once again in display in the Knicks’ 121-117 Game 1 win against the Indiana Pacers last night. The 27-year-old outplayed Pacers’ All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who finished with only six points and eight assists. As it stands, Jalen Brunson is the leading scorer in this postseason as of now, averaging 36.6 points per game.
Kendrick Perkins rallied behind the Knicks since the start of the season
Kendrick Perkins was among the few experts who relayed their faith in the New York Knicks since the start of the season. In a recent episode of First Take, the 2008 NBA champion couldn’t help but burst into a song to remind the viewers of his support for the Knickerbockers this season.
The ESPN analyst recalled that his grandmother would sing the song ‘I Won’t Complain,’ from which he decided to recite a few lines on-air. “I’ve been talked about, but thank you Lord. I’ve been misunderstood, but thank you Lord,” the veteran analyst sang, leaving co-analyst Stephen A. Smith astonished.
That Brunson and Knicks energy just hit a lil different 🤣 Carry the hell on… https://t.co/cE4GP7H594
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 3, 2024
Perk explained his unwavering support for the New York Knicks since they signed Jalen Brunson in 2022 through this song. Perhaps the Knicks will have a great chance to prove Perk’s point in this playoff series against the Pacers in the second round.
Fans expect Brunson to continue his stellar form as the Knicks prepare to host the Pacers for Game 2 on Wednesday.
