It has not been the prettiest of starts for New York Knicks superstar captain Jalen Brunson. Despite averaging solid numbers of 24 points and 6.1 assists per game, he has endured a shooting slump of late as he has knocked down just 41% of his shots in his last three games, which is down from his usual efficiency.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson gets harsh criticism from ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins
One of the Knicks’ biggest supporters in the media, former NBA player now ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, has become one of their biggest critics after they have gotten off to a slow 4-4 start to the season. He has been especially critical about Brunson, offering a rather harsh assessment of his performance in the early part of the season.
“Last year, Jalen Brunson was in my eyes the best player in the Eastern Conference,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today (h/t New York Basketball on X). “This year he’s not even a top 15 player in the Eastern Conference.”
Brunson has been quiet late in games this season
One of the more underwhelming aspects of Brunson’s slow start has been that his usual clutch gene seems to have not shown up so far. In the fourth quarter this season, Brunson is shooting just 37% from the floor, the lowest efficiency out of all quarters.
Last season, Brunson was one of the more clutch players in the league, posting an average plus-minus of +2.4 in the fourth quarter while shooting 46% from the field. It is worth noting that there is still chemistry to be developed with the new pieces on the roster such as Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, which takes time to build.
Brunson is transitioning to becoming a playmaker
The bright side is that Brunson showed an ability to adapt to being more of a playmaker. In Friday’s blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Brunson recorded nine assists without turning the ball over, helping create good offense for New York despite not shooting the ball well for most of the game.
Brunson will have the opportunity to snap out of his shooting funk when he and the Knicks take on the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. A big game from him could reshape Perkins’ recent opinions about Brunson.