Dylan Backer
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is an exceptional player who has led his team to its most success that they have seen in the 21st century. His sudden rise to superstardom is one of the most inspiring stories in league history.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson still can’t earn respect
However, he still gets disrespected in the media as a result of the pressure on the organization to snap their 53-year title drought. Many in the industry still feel that Brunson can’t lead a team to a title, despite him getting to the conference finals last season.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd is one of those critics, going as far as to say that Brunson can’t be a No. 1 option on a contender.
“Jalen Brunson’s very good, he’s not great…he’s not that guy…Jalen Brunson has to be a number two. On a great team, a three. But I think New York is convinced he’s one of the best Knicks of all-time,” Cowherd said (h/t Awful Announcing).
Brunson has led the Knicks to a lot of success
Brunson has been the Knicks’ top scoring option for most of his tenure with the team. This season, he averaged 26.0 points per game, the 14th-most in the league, along with 6.8 assists on 47% shooting from the field and 37% from three.
Most notably, Brunson always rises to the occasion in the playoffs. During his time with the Knicks, Brunson is averaging 29.9 points per game in the postseason, and is responsible for a number of clutch moments, including his infamous game-winner to a cap off a 40-point performance to send the Detroit Pistons home in Game 6 of the first round last season.
He has proven that a team can reach some level of success with him leading the charge. However, he still has to prove that he can lead a team to a title, and this year, the pressure is immense.
New York starts their title quest on Saturday, when they take on the Atlanta Hawks to begin round 1.
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