How underrated is Jalen Brunson?
This past summer, during NBA free agency, we were all questioning one move by a desperate franchise: the New York Knicks giving former Dallas Mavericks Guard Jalen Brunson a four-year, $104 million contract.
Brunson was coming off a good playoff run for the Mavericks, where he stepped up in Luka Doncic’s absence in the first round. That is where Brunson started making a name for himself and showing everyone what he could do when he was finally leading an offense. It was reported before last season that Brunson’s father gave Dallas one last chance to extend him, or they’d be going somewhere new in 2022, and sure enough, they did.
The Mavs wanted Brunson back, but I think Brunson, the former Villanova University guard, wanted to be closer to home in New York, and his father is also an assistant coach for the Knicks. Either way, Brunson has been proving everyone wrong this year, averaging 22.4 points and 6.3 assists per game.
The best thing he has brought to New York is finding ways to win basketball games, and regarding a second-half season collapse, New York seems destined for the playoffs this year. The Knicks are competing as well. Just the other night, they out-dueled the best team in the league in Boston going into overtime.
Signing Jalen Brunson was one of the best moves for the Knicks in recent years, and they couldn’t be happier with the production they’re getting from him.