Is Mark Cuban’s embarrassing NBA history repeating itself? This may only be him who knows best, but what is certain is that Dallas Mavericks fans will definitely miss one player this season, and that is Jalen Brunson.
He averaged 24 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He shot a very high 49.1% from the field, 41.6% from three-point range, and 82.9% from free throws. Looking at the entire league, not many guards can With such performance and efficiency, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks is such a number one figure.
Seeking truth from facts, let’s take a special inventory and check which players have the average threshold per game this season. The only results found were:
■Stephen Curry
■Kawhi Leonard
■Brandon Ingram
■Desmond Bane
■Tyrese Haliburton
■Tyrese Maxey
■Bojan Bogdanovic
The above 7 and Jalen Brunson, this shows that the performance threshold is quite high, and such an effect is even more difficult for defenders. As a result, the Dallas Mavericks let go of such players last summer? Nothing left to get him signed by the New York Knicks for nothing?
Of course, it is a bit of hindsight to use[this season’s data]to talk about the Lone Ranger letting go of Jalen Brunson. But when Brunson was in the Lone Ranger last year and the year before, he was both a substitute and a starter in the regular season. Or off the ball can cooperate with Luka Doncic.
Not to mention that in the first three games of last year’s playoffs, Brunson carried the banner with full firepower in the absence of Doncic. The rhythm and speed change to infiltrate the penalty area and cause damage. The fight is not lost to the opposite star Donovan Mitchell, and even better and more stable.
In the first round of the series, they averaged 27.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and their shooting measurements[48%-36%-84%].
Some people may say that it happened that Brunson was in good form in those few games, but in the subsequent series of battles against the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, he also maintained an average of more than 18 points per game and a shooting percentage of more than 45%. The team’s No. 2 or No. 3, this performance is more than enough, and more importantly, Brunson, who is only 25 years old and has just found his position in the team in the past two years, is a young man with room for improvement.
As a result, Mark Cuban let go of Jalen Brunson, unwilling to provide him with a contract with an annual salary of about 18 million to 23 million. This is what Cuban said in an interview a few days ago. About Brunson is a rumor, there has never been such a price, he clearly wants a contract of 18 million to 23 million. 』
To be honest, who would not sign Brunson for 4 years and 56 million? What’s more, even if the annual salary is 23 million for Brunson, it is not a loss at all!
In today’s era of salary inflation, more than 20 million can establish their own second or third head is a very cheap price. More importantly, Brunson knows how to cooperate with Doncic and can be used as a puzzle that the team needs.
Of course, the New York Knicks are suspected of cheating. They hired Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach, but this was after the Lone Ranger could renew Brunson’s contract in advance. Can it continue to be so good in the future?
So Cuban made similar failed decisions time and time again.
In the summer of 2004, Cuban let go of Dirk Nowitzki’s good brother Steve Nash. He also thought that Nash’s level had reached the limit and that he was not worth the price. However, the price Nash offered at the beginning was really not too much.
As a result, Cuban’s release gave the league another superstar. Nash led the Suns to become the hottest power in the Western District, and won the MVP of the year for two consecutive years.
Unexpectedly, in the summer of 2011, Cuban did the same, letting go of the team’s champion goalkeeper Tyson Chandler. As a result, Chandler, who went to the Knicks, played the best performance of his career and became the league’s field goal percentage leader in the 2012 season.
In 2015, Chandler returned to the nest and wanted to play for the Lone Ranger again. As a result, after the free market opened, Cuban only had DeAndre Jordan in his eyes.
Strange to say, after the Lone Ranger let go of the goalkeeper Chandler who intends to stay in the team twice, it seems to be cursed. In the past 8 years, they have not had a goalkeeper-level penalty zone player to defend the paint area. This has always been the Lone Ranger these years. the pain.
And now it seems that Jalen Brunson has also become a pain in the hearts of Lone Ranger fans.
Because Brunson’s performance in the New York Knicks this year is believed to have exceeded many people’s expectations, even I did not expect him to play so well! I guess even the Knicks front office didn’t expect Brunson to make such a difference so quickly.
The Nicks have been looking for another Walt Frazier these years, the kind of combo guard who is full of offensive destructive power and organization, and Derrick Rose, who has played as a substitute for the past two years, has been taking on that role. The spiritual leader and the most stable player in the game.
But Rose is still plagued by injuries, and he is really aging. This season, his state has reached a new low in his career. Under Nick’s decision to focus on youth, Rose has almost only played the role of the leader of the locker room this season, and rarely has the opportunity to play. , and an important reason is that Brunson is too good, and young Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley can also be trusted.
Jalen Brunson has fully achieved what the Nicks expected of him, that is, a strong ability to attack with the ball, so that the team finally does not have to see the problem of Julius Randle sometimes dribbling the ball for too long, allowing him to play more balancedly as a finisher or with the ball The role of a striker improves one’s own offensive efficiency and the team’s better operating rhythm.
The New York Knicks have been an offense-heavy team this season, which doesn’t fit Tom Thibodeau’s image, but it is.
It should be said that Nick is very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his lineup this season. It doesn’t matter if the outside line is not good, and the defense line is still not established. Commander, the most penetrating blade, the master of singles in the backcourt.
This season, Brunson’s PPP in isolation (singles) is 1.1, which is comparable to his former teammate Luka Doncic’s performance. His singles efficiency is better than 85% of the players in the league. His speed, strong frame, cunning intelligence, excellent technique, and his left-handed advantage make Brunson too good at disrupting the opponent’s defense.
He can slowly squeeze into the basket against the body of the defender without fear of collision, and use excellent footwork and rhythm changes to perform emergency stops or turn around to eat opponents. Dragons fight in and out, and have a lot of offensive weapons.
What’s even more valuable is that he feels good in his hands, throwing shots, lateral jump shots, and can even stabilize the balance of his upper body due to his body tilting. He has the ability to stuff the ball into the basket. It’s not a fluke, but he really has such ability and skill.
This picture shows the effectiveness of Brunson’s various offenses this season. He can definitely be described as top-notch. Almost every item of PPP RANK is better than 80% of the players in the league. Among them, his P&R Ballhandler accounted for as high as More than 40%, with high efficiency, his performance is completely in line with the ideal picture in Nick’s mind, a reliable master of attacking with the ball.
And what is even more amazing is that Brunson is still building his reputation as an outstanding shooter. This season, his three-point shooting percentage is as high as 40%, and the mid-to-long distance from 16 feet to the three-point line is also more than 50%. As high as 47%, he is definitely an underrated player in shooting, and he is moving towards the road of shooter.
This is no exaggeration! Just look at the effectiveness of Brunson’s shooting over the past five years.
He has always been a good mid-range player in the league. Both Short Mid and Long Mid are at the top of the league. In the past three years, he has been at least better than 70% of the players in the league.
In terms of three-point shooting, it can also be seen that he has worked hard to improve. He has made great progress in the bottom line three-pointers (Corner Three) on both sides. Intimidating 3-point shooter.
Look at this shooting heat map is more obvious!
If the top of the free throw line is deducted, Brunson will almost show a shooting performance with no red zone and many green hotspots. Considering that he is also an excellent penetrator and a sharp edge that tears apart the defense, as far as this season is concerned, He is really omnipotent on the offensive end and has been promoted to the top forest in the league.
The Knicks are a team that emphasizes[single-on]offensives this season, with a single-point breakthrough to create a scoring style, and Brunson is the core of the overall operation, paired with Julius Randle, who also loves singles, to form a double-horned team. Upside, and the athleticism of RJ Barrett could serve as a third edge.
Brunson can also make Randle and Barrett play comfortably, because even if he does not hold the ball, his[off-the-ball intimidation]is also top-notch. This season, his catch and shoot three-point shooting percentage is as high as 47.6%, which has reached the level of marksmanship. As for Kaly Thompson, the difference is only the output and proportion, but as soon as the opportunity comes out, he is quite sure.
Some people will definitely say that this is just a good state this season, and it is not worth mentioning.
Not so with Brunson!
Over the years, in order to become an excellent assistant to Luka Doncic, the big core of ball-handling, he really practiced crazily on C&S. The year before last, his C&S three-point shooting rate was[43.6%]last year was[40.1%]plus Climbing to a higher peak this year[47.6%]Brunson has broken the 40% three-point shooting percentage for three consecutive years.
This picture also clearly shows that compared with the current TOP guards in the league, Brunson is already qualified to compete. In O-LEBRON, which evaluates the impact on the offensive end, he is already at the top of the league. This season, he has been able to compete with Harden and Irving. , SGA and other star players are on an equal footing, and it also means that he is also a strong point in the league’s backcourt. In the case of high singles volume, he is not only efficient, but also has a very positive influence on the team’s offensive end.
The New York Knicks can return to the playoffs stage this year. The team’s offensive is so fierce and smooth. Jalen Brunson is undoubtedly the key core! The 4-year 104 million contract last summer was obviously very valuable. Brunson, who has an annual salary of more than 20 million, has the same influence and efficiency as many superstars with more than 30 million, and he is still a declining contract. It is more conducive to market operations in the future.
And Jalen Brunson’s first-class performance this season must have made the Lone Ranger and Mark Cuban quite embarrassed and nostalgic, because once again, history is still repeating itself, and Cuban lost the bet again…
It is undeniable that Doncic’s partner Kyrie Irving is a higher-level superstar than Brunson, but the price of getting Irving is the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, the two most influential players in the team.
Moreover, both DFS and Dinwiddie are high-quality contracts with high CP value. If the Mavericks had kept Brunson last summer, the overall combat power and salary structure would have been better and healthier. , Bertans, Bullock, Kleber, McGee), the Lone Ranger still has the opportunity to build a competitive team around Doncic.
But it turned out to be like a domino effect. Losing Brunson, replacing DFS and Dinwiddie, and losing the three most important players last year, if the Lone Ranger fails to keep Kyrie Irving in the summer, it will be devastating. The salary space will shrink.
On the other hand, Nick’s future looks bright.
In the next three years, the annual salary of Brunson, Randle, and Barrett will not exceed 30 million. This is a relatively cheap three-core combination in the team. If Evan Fournier can be packaged and Derrick Rose is not executed or traded (sad), They still have a chance to sign a star player, and they have finally made some achievements in nurturing young people.
Nick has indeed had a different atmosphere under the helm of Leon Rose in the past few years, and has begun to lay the foundation for long-term success. The core players are in their prime, young players have also grown, and the flexibility of salary space has been maintained. Sex and high CP value.
And getting Jalen Brunson with such excellent adaptability and immediate success makes the team full of hope for the future! This is not only to return to the playoffs stage, but also to revive their attractiveness in the market, making it clear to the outside world that this team has a long-term correct goal, and it is not like a headless chicken in the past few years. When making decisions, the team can’t see the direction at all, and create incentives and culture to attract big stars to join.
Brunson proved that Cuban’s vision of recognizing people is really disappointing. The original sin of these years is that he only wants to put bait to catch big players.
Brunson also proved that he didn’t rely on the Doncic effect to perform. He played at a first-class level and competitiveness through hard work and hard work, becoming an elite guard who seems to be able to plug and play everywhere.
Of course, Brunson still has a lot of room for improvement, that is the defensive end. This season, the Knicks’ defensive performance in the starting group is terrible. They seem to put their energy into the offensive end, and then use the bench to fight for defense. If this problem can be improved , they will be even more powerful.
But the flaws are not hidden. Brunson has already used his actions to tell the outside world that he will be a strong contender in the backcourt of the stars in the East in the next few years. He listened to his father Rick Brunson’s warning and did not take chances to fight hard to reach the dream that his father had never stepped into. .
Therefore, Brunson is definitely one of the most amazing focus players in the league this season, especially when the Lone Ranger has an early summer vacation and they are firmly squeezed into the top six in the Eastern Conference.
Text / HBK
[Yahoo Sports Column]The article only reflects the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Yahoo Kimo.
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