Draymond Green can appreciate Jalen Brunson’s story as a former National Collegiate Player of the Year who went all the way to the second round of the NBA Draft and was named an All-Star.
“I know that feeling,” Green said with a smile on his YouTube channel’s podcast after the Knicks defeated the Warriors in San Francisco on Monday night.
Drafted 35th overall out of Michigan State University in 2012 and named the NABC National Player of the Year, Green was named to four All-Star teams and won four NBA titles in 12 seasons with Golden State. obtained.
Green recalled Brunson, the 33rd pick of Villanova in 2018 after being the consensus national player of the year as a junior, playing against the Mavericks in the 2022 Western Conference Finals. But he admitted he never expected the former Villanova point guard to become a champion. He has been a dominant player for over two seasons since signing with the Knicks as a free agent.
“He’s playing at an All-NBA level. It’s good to see him getting his due,” Green said. “I played with Jalen Brunson in the playoffs against Dallas a few years ago. He was a completely different player.
“By the way, he was really good at the time, so I’m not going to act like he wasn’t good at the time. He was really good at the time, so much so that he was my opponent in a playoff series. …So he’s done well so far, but I don’t think any of us would have expected him to be like this. It was fun to watch. JB is so humble that people cheer him on. He is one of the best players.”
Humble isn’t a word you often associate with the outspoken Green, who has been suspended six times in his NBA career, including two earlier this season.
With Green as the primary defender in that playoff series, Brunson shot just 41 percent overall and 29 percent from 3-point range.
“It helped me understand what I have to work on to get better,” Brunson said Monday.
Brunson entered Monday’s game with 27.6 points per game, ranking him fifth in the NBA in scoring.
Green also praised him for being a “head of the snake” for the Knicks, calling him “nearly impossible” to guard, especially in pick-and-roll sets.
“He’s hard to guard. … He’s really sneaky,” Green said. “Jalen Brunson is a 3-level scorer. He can finish at the rim, he can finish in the midrange, he got floaters, he got 3s, he got pull-ups. . He can score at every level.
“So for me personally, I’d rather guard him one-on-one than guard him in the pick-and-roll. …The thing is, most guys get more speed when you blitz them. . He never picks up speed. He plays at his own pace, so even if you blitz, he’s going to wait until the floor is clear before taking action. And interestingly, that’s every night. It works.”
The Knicks (41-27) are 3-0 in this Western swing ahead of Thursday’s final game against the Nuggets, and Brunson scored 34 points, his 40-point streak, in Monday’s win.
Miles McBride also scored a career-high 29 points in more than 46 minutes against the Warriors, and Josh Hart played in all 48 points and recorded his fifth career triple-double, all of which were his previous 21. It happened at a match.
“Josh Hart is playing insane,” Green said. “And when I say consider his feelings, I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. It doesn’t mean he’s incapable. But Josh Hart has been in the last couple of weeks. I think he’s had four triple-doubles. He’s playing unbelievable basketball.
“If you look at that transaction, [Portland] I gave it to him in exchange for a pack of peanuts and it was a great addition. ”
The Knicks acquired Hart from the Trail Blazers at last season’s trade deadline for Cam Reddish, the 23rd overall pick (Chris Murray) in 2023.
Green also praised former Warriors teammate Donte DiVincenzo, known as “My Guy Divo,” and the entire Knicks for continuing to win games despite missing Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby with injuries. praised.
“They look good,” Green said. “I have to take my hat off to them, they are playing at a very high level despite the injuries they have had.
“And starting with Jalen Brunson, the Snakehead, Josh Hart and Donte and Miles McBride played against us. But especially those three guys, they’re doing it night in and night out. We don’t want it to go the wrong way. But Jalen Brunson in particular was a very tough guard and gave us hell. [Monday night]”
