“Keep accumulating hits, hitting a home run every now and then — that’s what my life is regarding.”
Jalen Brunson told me this in April, following Luka Doncic was sidelined in the first round of the playoffs with a season-ending injury, and Brunson took his chances with 41 and 31 points in the first two games. It’s almost safe to say that without him, the Mavericks wouldn’t make the cut and eventually make it to the Western Conference Championship. But now he’s gone, and Dallas is coming home empty-handed. With the opening of the NBA free market this year, Brunson, a completely free agent, reached a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks. The Knicks finally provided more favorable treatment and more playing opportunities.
Judging by the reactions on social media, Mavs fans weren’t completely overwhelmed by the news. There wasn’t much euphoria among the Knicks fans, and the reaction from fans on both sides was a bit lukewarm. I believe the Mavericks without him shouldn’t play too badly in the short term despite their long-term concerns; at the same time, Brunson deserves the Knicks’ huge investment because they’ve finally found a true point guard.
Over the past 10 years, the Knicks have continually updated an endless list of point guards. The early Raymond Felton or the late Derrick Rose may have been the Knicks’ best field commander of the decade; otherwise, what regarding Jason Kidd’s final inspiration? Pablo Prigioni might also be worth mentioning, and you can almost see how pathetic Nick is at this position, even if a lottery pick of high-bottom Frank Ntilikina or low-stakes Emmanuel Mudiay ends up failing. Brunson, who will turn 26 next season, has improved every season of his career and broke through last season as a multi-million dollar point guard. In December, when Luka was on the sidelines, Jalen held the team’s record firmly by putting up stats at the edge of an All-Star game: 21 points per game, 59.1 true shooting percentage, 7.4 assists, Only 2.1 turnovers; in the playoffs, he was even more proficient, averaging 21.6 points per game, a production the Knicks were hoping to get for their big bucks.
According to Advanced Stats, Brunson averaged 1.03 points per possession in the playoffs with 19.8 pick-and-rolls per game. When he’s playing singles, he’s putting up 1.1 points per possession, and he’s doing great. When head coach Rick Carlisle was Rick Carlisle in 2020-21, he averaged just 2.4 singles attempts per game; by contrast, he more than doubled (4.9) in the last season under Kidd; During the playoffs, the same numbers soared to nearly 10 per game and continued to grow.
“I don’t just focus on doing one thing better, I care more regarding how I can contribute as efficiently if I get more usage ratings. How can I do it in different situations Better?” Brunson told me back in April, hinting at his bigger dreams. In fact, as early as a few months ago, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Nicks would be a Cheng Yaojin to sign him. Not only will Brunson have more room to play in New York, but there are plenty of reasons to entice him. Jalen’s father, Rick Brunson, was reportedly hired by the Big Apple as an assistant coach in early June. Rick was also the first client of Knicks president Leon Rose as an agent, and Rose now runs the entire Knicks team. I asked Brunson what he meant by “usage”, which was related to his decision.
“As I get more time and experience in the NBA, I’m going to get more opportunities every year. So I’ve been focusing on how I can create the same efficient production if I have the opportunity. If I have a high usage rate, it’s very Okay. If it’s low usage, I know I’m going to do it because that’s what I’ve been doing all my life.” Brunson said: “When I’m the main ball handler on the team, I’m always trying to Put myself in the most efficient position. I try not to make mistakes and try to get in quickly. I’m not trying to increase my usage; it’s when my usage starts to increase, can I maintain the same performance?”
Nick in New York will soon discover the answer to this question. There are countless good scorers in the league, and there will never be any shortage of monsters that are taller, agile, and hotter. At just 6-foot-1, Brunson does have inherent limitations, but when he gets on the court you feel like he’s bigger than he actually is, and he combines strength and agility to get a head start quickly. He has an unpredictability. A step or two to the left, a half turn to the right, and he’s under the basket, leaning over like a ballerina to bring the ball up.