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Jalen Brunson has been unheralded for most of his professional career. Despite leading Villanova to two college championships, in 2016 and 2018, Brunson was viewed as an undersized guard with little upside by most scouts, causing him to fall to the second round in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Brunson quickly proved his naysayers wrong as a pro, helping Dallas make the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the Dirk Nowitzki era in 2022. Predictably, he was doubted again, with many taking his second-fiddle act to Luka Doncic for granted. The Mavs let Brunson walk in free agency in 2022, a decision they likely regret.
Now, Brunson has a team of his own, and the Knicks are the beneficiaries. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley feels Brunson has made the Knicks, the fifth seed in the East, the most relevant they’ve been since the Patrick Ewing era. That’s a huge compliment.
Is Brunson the best game manager in the NBA?
Former NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins has now offered an even bigger compliment, referring to Brunson as the best all-around point guard in the league.
On the March 22 episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Perkins explained why he’d take Brunson over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry or any other guard in the NBA. Pekins further echoed the sentiments of coaches and players in the league who’ve been singing the praises of Brunson.
“‘I’m not taking nobody over [Brunson],” Perkins said. “And that’s no disrespect to Steph Curry or SGA, but I’m not taking anybody over Jalen Brunson. Just listen to what guys [his competitors] were saying during the Knicks’ recent West coast road trip.
“Did you see him handing out 40 pieces? Did you hear what Mike Brown [Kings coach] said about Jalen Brunson as far as the attention to detail they needed to [execute] to stop him, blitz him? Or did you hear what Draymond Green said after Jalen Brunson went to Golden State and gave them that work?
“When it comes down to being a floor general, there’s nobody outside of Luka — who’s more of a point forward — that controls the game like Jalen Brunson. What he’s doing for the New York Knicks despite all the injuries… I can’t say enough about it. Right now, he’s the best point guard in the game, in my opinion.”
Perkins further praised Brunson for his effort on the defensive end, pointing to the Villanova product being second in the NBA in charges drawn.
How far can Brunson take the Knicks?
A year after guiding the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013, Brunson is again primed to make some noise in the postseason. Despite being plagued by injuries, the Knicks — mostly due to Brunson’s consistent performances — have the seventh-shortest odds to win the NBA Championship in June.
For the first time in years, there are considerable expectations from a Knicks team, to the point where many analysts expect them to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
“If the New York Knicks get healthy, they’re going to the Conference Finals. “That means Milwaukee gets bounced out,” Stephen A Smith predicted on ESPN’s “First Take” on March 19.
As Smith pointed out, health remains the only real concern for the Knicks ahead of next month’s NBA Playoffs. As of this writing, there’s no update on when Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby will be ready to rejoin the team. If all those three core pieces return in time, the Knicks are undoubtedly a legitimate threat out East.
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