Jalen Brunson: The New King of the New York Knicks?

The New York Knicks will end up building a statue of Jalen Brunson in front of Madison Square Garden before the playoffs even end. The new darling of the public is on the verge of bringing the Manhattan franchise back to the Conference finals. We have to go back to the year 2000 to find traces of a New York team still present this late in the competition. The revival of the Knicks can still be explained in large part thanks to its All-Star leader.

Four of the five highest-paid players on the roster – Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby – were missing during the decisive Game 5 played against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday evening. But with one constant: the presence of Brunson, who holds his place despite a foot injury contracted earlier in the series. The (hot) supporters of the Big Apple know that they can believe in it as long as their favorite is on the field. This is also why they gave him a warm ovation at halftime of Game 2, when he came back to warm up after getting hurt in the first quarter. They believe in his ability to get the team out of any situation.

Jalen Brunson

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Already five matches with 40 points or more in these playoffs

There was no suspense or heroic comeback Tuesday night. The New Jersey native, about 50 miles from the Garden, scored 28 of his 44 points in the first half and the Knicks defeated the Pacers (121-91) to quietly win this fifth round. It was the fifth game with 40 points or more for Brunson since the start of hostilities. He even scored three in a row, a performance that only Jerry West, Michael Jordan and Bernard King have achieved in history. He is even the best scorer in the playoffs with 33.9 points per game on 45% shooting. All with more than 7 passes distributed each evening.

Leon Rose and the leaders pulled off a big coup by signing the player drafted in 33rd position (in 2018) for four seasons and $104 million in the summer of 2022. An amount which was the subject of numerous criticisms at the time. era. It must be said that he had barely emerged from anonymity and found a place in the Dallas Mavericks’ major five. It was in the absence of Luka Doncic that he revealed himself with already a 40-point match in the playoffs. The Knicks bet that the American would flourish while being freed from the presence of the Slovenian prodigy. Two years later, they are in the midst of a renaissance, Brunson finished fifth in the MVP voting and his contract is the most interesting in the league from a quality/price point of view.

Jalen Brunson

Credit: Getty Images

Action Brunson

But New York didn’t just unearth a very talented basketball player. The organization has found a leader. A man capable of embodying the entire project. “We know what he’s made of. But his DNA is also that of our team. Mental toughness is so important. Being the best in crucial moments, going through challenges. That’s totally him “, underlined Tom Thibodeau. The coach and the star got along well. They share common character traits. And clearly, the Knicks are the image of Jalen Brunson. They play hard because he plays hard. They never give up because he never gives up.

“He’s a warrior,” noted Donte DiVincenzo after Game 2 during which his teammate missed the entire second quarter before returning despite his foot pain. “He proved throughout the season that he knew how to bounce back whatever the obstacle encountered.” Here again, the observation applies just as much to the man as to his training. Because he is the soul of the Knicks.

He is also already one of the greatest performers in a legendary franchise. He scored more points in the playoffs under the Knicks tunic than Carmelo Anthony, the last emblematic player of New York. Brunson, however, today appears much higher in the hierarchy of Knicks legends and even higher in the hearts of supporters. So how far can he go? And above all, how far can he take this group?

Jalen Brunson contro Donovan Mitchell in Knicks-Cavs

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If your best player is the smallest, you probably can’t go all the way

“This team is very well coached but they are missing an alpha dog. They need a top class player [pour gagner un titre]”, declared for example Becky Hammon, former assistant to Gregg Popovich and now coach in the WNBA. “I love Jalen Brunson but I can’t put him in the category of LeBron James or Stephen Curry. If your best player is the smallest on the pitch, you probably can’t go all the way.” Comments that led to strong criticism. However, she is probably not wrong. The teams that win titles are all driven by one of the five best players in the world.

Not sure that Brunson is really part of this elite group which only concerns one percent of the players in the toughest championship on the planet. But guys like that, the Knicks haven’t had that many in their history. Moreover, there have not been many players measured at 1.88 meters capable of mistreating defenses like the 27-year-old leader does in the orange, white and blue colors. It is one of a kind. And he makes an entire franchise, an entire fan base and an entire city dream. Maybe that’s all that matters.

2024-05-15 13:18:00
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