CHICAGO — The story has shifted to Jalen Brunson. He went from Robin to Batman. Watson to Sherlock.
Previously, the national debate was about what Brunson could not do based on his size, or which players the Knicks should sign to push the point guard lower on the totem pole, but accepting Brunson as a player is much more likely. It is becoming accepted.
“He’s a top-10 to -12 player in the NBA this season. I think there’s a legitimate buzz about him creeping into the top five in MVP voting. He was very good this year. Last year he was It was phenomenal. He got even better this year,” JJ Reddick said on the podcast “The Old Man And the Three.”
“He is—with [coach Tom Thibodeau] And in that group, [Julius] Randall — They came up with a counter to every press. And it was amazing. Let me be clear: If you think Jalen Brunson is a top-30 player, you are seriously underestimating him. He’s closer to that 10-15. And you could probably argue that it’s a little higher this season. ”
Redick’s sentiments are borne out in ESPN’s latest straw poll, which placed Brunson sixth in MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum.
The latest evidence of his superstar status came Sunday in Milwaukee, when Brunson dropped 43 points and surprised Doc Rivers.
“[We tried] Everything,” Rivers said. “We trapped him. We were pretty down. I thought it hurt. … We watched him, and he’s seen all the coverage. And that You can tell he’s a helluva player. And his conditioning level is off the charts.”
Dame Lillard watched his opponent pull away from the Bucks.
Milwaukee’s scheme allows the screener defender to retreat closer to the paint, giving Brunson more space to come off the pick.
And he exploited it.
“First of all, he’s one of the best players in the league,” Lillard said. “He’s a scorer. And as someone who’s been in situations where he’s had the ball 95 percent, 90 percent of the time, certain matchups that I can remember, he knew what kind of coverage they were going to go into.
“And we do drop coverage. And he’s getting screen sets and going downhill. He’s playing in the midrange with floaters and pull-up jumpers and things like that. His I think the way he played, coming into these games and knowing the coverage he was going to see, I think that’s kind of the reason.”
Brunson, whose 28.2 points per game ranked fourth in the NBA on Tuesday, is unconventional, at least by NBA star standards.
He became the fastest player to average that many points since the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas in 2017.
He also dominates games with angles and footwork that allowed the 6-foot-1 guard, who can barely dunk, to average 11.5 points in the paint by Tuesday.
His college roommate, Donte DiVincenzo, can predict every move, but he still doesn’t know how to stop it.
“Every time he gets in the paint, I know what he’s going to do, what kind of counters he’s going to come up with. Defenders know, too. But he fakes very well and his footwork is very good. You have to respect his every move because he is good,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s how he got to the free throw line, got the floater, and where I made the open three in the corner, he was able to get the lead because they were able to get to him in the paint. Because I’m very worried about that.”
An underrated aspect of Brunson’s game is his strength and conditioning, and Rivers recognized that.
Brunson entered the Bulls game offensively with the second-most distance traveled in the NBA this season (114 miles, behind Mikal Bridges), and did most of that with the ball.
Defensively, Brunson struggles to stay in front of opponents, but he isn’t afraid to draw charges. He was second in the NBA with 31 draws through Tuesday.
Brunson has overcome his perceived limitations about five times since joining the Knicks with his physicality, IQ, and general awareness.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m proud of him,” said DiVincenzo. “But it also makes sense. He puts in the work. He sees his name mentioned alongside other great players in the league, which is a credit to him, but that doesn’t mean he’s a great player.” It’s also about the type of person he is. That means a little bit to the people around him.”
