2024-01-01 08:24:13
“It’s impossible not to hear the naysayers,” Jalen Brunson said. “But I will try my best not to let these things affect me, because sometimes, I know I have the ability to prove these people wrong.”
It has been about 17 months since Jalen Brunson made the decision to leave the Dallas Mavericks and join the New York Knicks. People still occasionally talk about the fact that the Mavericks positioned Brunson’s contract value slightly lower than the Knicks, or imagine what it would be like if Brunson continued to partner with Mavericks star Luka Doncic. However, what people are looking forward to more is how far the Knicks can go since Brunson put on a Knicks jersey. Last season, the Knicks achieved 47 wins and 35 losses in the regular season and reached the second round of the playoffs; so far this season, the Knicks have a record of 17 wins and 14 losses, ranking seventh in the Eastern Conference. From organizing tactics and threading the needle, to cutting in and tearing apart the opponent’s defensive line like a sharp blade, Brunson is always at the forefront of the Knicks’ offensive line.
Brunson feels like a fish in water with the Knicks, and his overall performance and condition have improved a lot compared to his time with the Mavericks. One of the key reasons is Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s adjustment and cooperation with Brunson.
Thibodeau first met Brunson when Brunson was about five or six years old. Thibodeau was an assistant coach with the Knicks at the time, and Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, joined the Knicks in 1998. In Thibodeau’s memory, young Brunson often ran into the Knicks’ locker room after games and imitated the shooting movements of Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell. Even Larry Johnson’s signature “L” movement was also a specialty for young Brunson. Having followed Rick around the NBA world for a long time, Brunson’s love for basketball has surpassed that of other children his age since he was a child. At the same time, he also worked hard to absorb everything he has seen and experienced.“You never think one day he’s going to be a pro or anything like that, but it’s incredible.”Thibodeau said.“Everybody breaks down. He learns their footwork, their jabs, everything.”
As if by fate, Brunson, who imitated the players in the Knicks locker room as a child, returned to the familiar Madison Square Garden when he grew up, and indeed left good results on the court, joining the Knicks. In his first season, he averaged career-highs of 24 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds. His three-pointers also reached a new high of 41.6%, averaging two goals in 4.7 attempts. In the regular season last season, Brunson was the Knicks’ best operator at critical moments, and his ability to dominate the game was as good as that of other NBA superstars. Judging from NBA critical moment data, Brunson scored a total of 47 goals at critical moments last season, ranking fourth in the league. In addition, the Knicks first eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the playoffs, and then lost 2-4 to the Miami Heat, who later advanced to the championship game. Brunson relied on the red-eyed and high-spirited Brunson. It is worth noting that Brunson became the second player after “Melo” Carmelo Anthony to score at least 20 points in 11 consecutive playoff games.
At first, many people were not optimistic about the combination of Brunson and the Knicks, and they were also critical of it, especially when Nick was involved in the illegal recruitment of Brunson. The Knicks hired Rick just one month before the opening of the free market in 2022. Assistant coach, and also about whether Brunson’s skills in the Mavericks are worth such a large contract for the Knicks. Brunson took these criticisms to heart and only waited to counterattack with his actual performance.“It’s impossible not to hear the naysayers at all.”Brunson said so.“But I will try my best not to let these things affect me, because sometimes, I know I have the ability to prove these people wrong.”
“I really don’t want to think of that as motivation. What drives me is getting out there every day and trying to be the best player I can be. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s what my parents taught me. Things. Good or bad, you can’t listen to what other people are saying. You have to stay calm. It’s a blessing in disguise because it keeps me pushing forward and staying hungry.”
The counterattack from Brunson did not need to wait too long. On March 31, 2023, the Knicks played against the Cavaliers. Facing Donovan Mitchell, the top free agent target that the Knicks originally wanted to fight for, Brunson scored a career-high 48 points on 18 of 32 shots, beating the former’s 42 points. A few months later this season, in the regular season game against the Phoenix Suns on December 15, Brunson scored 50 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 5 steals, including 9 of 9 three-pointers, leading the Knicks to lock down The victory surpassed his own highest record. Although the Knicks were unable to defend against Suns center Jusuf Nurkic’s low post offense, as well as Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Brunson still broke the deadlock in different ways and won the final victory for the Knicks.
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