Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are doing everything to prove that they belong. However, Candace Parker doesn’t seem to believe in this squad, no matter what they do. The Knicks are 33-21, good for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. Brunson has arguably been the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, averaging 27.5 points, 6.5 assists, and shooting over 40% from three-point range on 6.5 attempts per game.
Parker decided to double down on her take about Brunson, saying the following, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post:
“Well, I feel like, first of all, I love Knicks fans … and I get it,” Parker said Tuesday on a Zoom call for TNT ahead of this weekend’s All-Star Game. “What I was alluding to was the fact that in the first round of the playoffs, he was the best player on the court against Donovan Mitchell. He was the best player on the court.
“And the second round, especially on the defensive end, Miami picked on him a great deal. And Jimmy Butler was, in fact, the best player on the court. And my thing was basically it was no slight on Jalen Brunson. I think he makes everybody better around him. I think he makes winning plays.”
Jimmy Butler was one of the best players in basketball during the playoffs, but that doesn’t take away from what Brunson did. If anything, Julius Randle averaging 18.8 points on bad efficiency was the reason the Knicks lost that series to the Miami Heat, not the 2023-24 All-Star.
Candace Parker’s Initial Jalen Brunson Comments
Her initial comments received plenty of backlash and it was warranted from New York Knicks fans. The comments simply didn’t make sense and while it was an opinion, it just wasn’t right.
Her initial comments came during her appearance on “NBA on TNT,” comparing it to his time playing with the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic.
“When the game slows down in the playoffs, and you get jammed up, we’ve seen Jalen Brunson in the playoffs with the Mavs and he was No. 2, No. 3. [He] came in, played minutes, supplemented Luka handling the ball,” Parker said. “But as a No. 1 option last year in the playoffs, great first round, second round not so much.”
Candace Parker questions Jalen Brunson’s playoff performances, saying he did a good job in the first round last year, but not the second.
2023 First Round: 24 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.2 RPG
2023 Second Round: 31 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.5 RPG
Brunson averaged 31 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds against the Heat in six games. In no shape or form is that a bad series, even if the Knicks lost.
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Candace Parker Doubles Down Take on Knicks Star Jalen Brunson