HOUSTON — Bad optics and loud complaints.
Jalen Brunson is small compared to the giants he fights, and often ends the night with bruises and a black eye from flying hands and elbows.
Who can forget the sight of Brunson lying on the garden court with new welts and the referee swallowing the whistle against the Pacers?
Or what about Tom Thibodeau’s rant about Brunson’s lack of respect from officials? In the words of the Knicks coach on Dec. 30, “He’s been getting hammered so many times, he’s tired of it.”
But are the complaints justified? Is Branson being hosed down by officials?
The numbers suggest that’s probably not the case.
Brunson’s usage rate (29.1 percent, 18th heading into Tuesday’s game) and free throw attempts (6.3 per game, 18th in the NBA) are comparable.
He was 20th in free throw attempts per 36 minutes, ahead of Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant.
He’s almost on the line for his game, except that his hard drives per game aren’t leading to as many foul shots as his predecessor (Brunson trails Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic in number of drives). (It was 3rd place after).
“Jaylen needs a lot of long paint [non-restricted area] And mid-range shots,” the Eastern Conference coach said. “Less than 20 percent of his shots hit the rim. Traditionally, try not to get too many fouls.
“He’s athletic and physically tough. He hits the floor a lot. But he doesn’t necessarily invite fouls.”
But that reality hasn’t stopped fans from feeling like Brunson is being denied star treatment by officials, with referee Jasyn Goble giving the point guard the whistle for a game-clinching phantom foul on Monday in Houston. When I did, this feeling felt justified. The Knicks filed a complaint with the league.
And there are certainly nights when Brunson falls short. Probably every player has the same frustration. But Brunson, like Trae Young, for example, is difficult to host because he frequently initiates and embellishes contacts.
“It depends on the night,” the NBA talent evaluator said. “He gets into the paint, pivots once, then pivots or fakes a second time and if there’s no shot, he spreads his arms out on contact.
“I think there are a lot of nights where he messes up. But even if he initiates contact, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get a call back. …The people who make the contact first are the hardest to emcee.” As in. [Shaquille O’Neal] In the past.or [James] Please strengthen it in the last few seasons. ”
Western Conference scouts said Brunson’s size could be a disadvantage.
“I’m not saying he’s a failure, but he’s putting on a show to get people to talk to him,” the scout said. “He’s not big, he’s not too fast, he has a small margin. That’s probably why his footwork is so good. He needs every advantage.
“I think the calls really depend on the person. Shai is a master at drawing fouls, but does that mean he’s making more contact or that they know what to call? ? Brunson doesn’t seem to take as much contact because he has strength and a low center of gravity that makes him less susceptible to contact.”
Brunson became more active during games regarding officiating, but avoided criticism through the media. It’s mostly the fans and the head coach who talk about this. There’s a good argument that Brunson should express sympathy for Young and Damian Lillard. Both players are taking 1.6 more free throws per 36 minutes than the Knicks All-Star.
But Branson’s ideas, which are not respected by officials, don’t quite pass the statistical test.
