It was last season that Jalen Brunson was being asked as a true, winning superstar. You may remember the argument. There were several deniers, but Becky Hammon was most notable by declaring Branson as “too small” to carry the franchise in large quantities.
Historically, she was only partially correct. Steph Curry is a few inches taller than Branson, but is hardly a giant. The height did not stop him from winning four titles. Allen Iverson is the size of Branson and took the Sixers to the NBA Finals nearly 25 years ago. It’s basically just one person attack.
Shorty Branson? He defeated the stereotypes in a 2024 statistical playoff stretch that rivals Michael Jordan’s best, dragging Nick with injury beyond reasonable expectations, but dropped one victory in clearing that net stage second round hurdle.
The response from the Knicks front office was to double Branson. A triple down is probably better. They ran to sign an extension that is friendly to his team. They nominated him as a captain and opened MSG for the ceremony in August. They changed the roster around point guards, getting or re-signing pieces that allowed Branson to command the ball and thrive.
