New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is enjoying the best season of his career. The undersized guard is averaging 28.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds, and has led his team to the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Brunson and the Knicks have been exceptional, especially in the absence of injured star Julius Randle, and are one of the dark horses to win the East. However, the lack of hype surrounding Brunson and the Knicks this year is bothering Gilbert Arenas.
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On the latest episode of the Gil’s Arena podcast, the retired NBA star called out the NYC media, saying,
“I don’t get it. Where’s the [New York media]? Where’s the New York narrative? Like, when we saw Linsanity, he [Jeremy Lin] was balling, the city was on fire. And right now, I’m sure the city’s on fire, but we can’t see it. Little campfire right now. This is when New York’s supposed to throw New York in everybody’s face. Y’all have the player, y’all have the team to do it. This is when New York stands up.”
Arenas made a valid point. Despite finding themselves in a position to steal the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings without Julius Randle, who has missed the last 35 games, the Knicks haven’t witnessed the hype they had during their previous runs similar in magnitude to this one. The seventh-placed Philadelphia 76ers and the eighth-placed Miami Heat are touted as more viable threats to Boston in the East. The New York media has failed to create enough buzz around the team’s incredible campaign despite having the resources to do it.
The hype around the Knicks seemed to be much louder during Randle’s breakout season for the franchise in 2021. The Knicks’ first-round battle against the Trae Young-led Atlanta Hawks brought the city together after a long time. But such emotions have been largely missing this season.
Jalen Brunson’s ascent to stardom
While the Knicks have struggled to captivate audiences, their star guard Jalen Brunson is earning well-deserved plaudits after an exceptional run over the past few months. In his last few games, the guard is averaging 37.6 points, 8.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds, and has put the Knicks in a position to finish potentially second in the Eastern Conference standings.
Brunson’s exceptional form has prompted analysts to declare the guard as one of the best players in his position in the NBA. On last Friday’s episode of First Take, retired NBA star Kendrick Perkins called the Knicks star the best point guard in the NBA. TNT analyst Kenny Smith went one step further last Thursday, saying,
“The New York Knicks are the most surprising team in basketball to me, right now. They should be a #6 seed without Julius Randle. [Mitchell] Robinson missed most of the season. OG [Anunoby] missed games. [Jalen] Brunson has been the best player in the Eastern Conference by far.”
Slowly and steadily, Brunson is establishing himself as one of the best players in the NBA. The Knicks guard will have a chance to cement his status as the top player in one of the biggest markets in the US in the team’s upcoming playoff run, which commences in a week.
