Mike Brown Defends Jalen Brunson From “Foul-Baiter” Accusations

Although never burdened with such expectations, Jalen Brunson has become the mainstay of the New York Knicks lineup over the last few seasons. It was evident on Friday when he put up a game-high 29 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal in a little over 37 minutes to push the Knicks over the line against the Indiana Pacers (101-92). Unfortunately, what followed were the usual allegations about his penchant for drawing fouls.

Brunson has averaged 5.8 free throws per game this season, nowhere near the top 25 in the league. Regardless, the narrative persists, often pushed by opposition coaches and ill-prepared analysts. And make no mistake, Brunson has a solid style of play that allows him to draw fouls when the opportunity presents itself.

It’s not unique to him, either. Players like the late Kobe Bryant, along with 2025-26 MVP contenders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, have used similar tactics to their advantage and have even been praised for it. So, needless to say, Knicks head coach Mike Brown is a bit tired of hearing claims that Brunson is abusing the foul calls, especially when the point guard is nowhere near as consistent with it as some of his peers.

When asked about it during the post-game press conference, Brown shook the allegations off and said, “A lot of people you have to ask, but obviously, the numbers speak for themselves. We’re not concerned about that. He’s just gotta keep being aggressive and in that MVP race like we know he is.”

“The numbers speak for themselves. We’re not concerned about that. He’s just gotta keep being aggressive and in that MVP race like we know he is”

–– Mike Brown on the Jalen Brunson foul baiter narrative pic.twitter.com/OEkTf72nmp

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 14, 2026

Brunson’s ability to conjure up different dribble moves often helps him get past defenders, and sometimes they foul him. It’s not exactly rocket science, but just a testament to the Knicks guard being really crafty. Even when he was a second-option point guard during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson would draw fouls in his favor with relative ease.

He felt he could do much more, so he moved to the Knicks and has found serious success as one of the best guards in the NBA, and it’s not just because of his ability to draw fouls. Averaging 5.8 FTA per game is barely a blip on the radar.

What Brunson does really well is control possession and create unique angles. He’s also extremely composed in the clutch and dictates the game. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the MVP contender is having a career year, averaging 26.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game, which has the Knicks sitting pretty at third in the East.