The Golden State Warriors learned this week, just like the rest of the NBA, just how good New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is. The Warriors found some success in their first matchup with the Knicks earlier this season, but on Monday they were picked apart.
Brunson scored 34 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds as he was a maestro leading the Knicks offense. He wasn’t the only one who hurt Golden State, as Miles McBride scored a career-high 29 points as well.
But, it was Brunson’s performance that drew praise from Draymond Green. While recording his podcast the following day, Green spoke glowingly of how well Brunson played, noting how difficult it is to defend him given that he has a counter to everything you throw at him.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks Updates
“Jalen Brunson…3-level scorer…Guarding him in the pick & roll is…almost impossible..Even if you blitz…he’s gonna wait til the floor opens up…It works every night…Playing at an All-NBA level…He’s been good—I’m not sure any of us thought he’d be this…” Green said via New York Basketball.
In the first meeting at Madison Square Garden, Golden State took advantage of New York sticking with a traditional lineup with two big men. That allowed them to blitz Brunson successfully, as they ignored Precious Achiuwa and Isaiah Hartesntein.
On Monday night, Tom Thibodeau countered. He inserted McBride into the lineup in place of the injured OG Anunoby, going small. Four out of five starters were 6’4” or shorter and it worked as the Knicks pulled off their 11th wire-to-wire victory of the season.
With more spacing around Brunson, Green and the Warriors were unable to commit to blitzing him as New York picked that apart from the opening tip. Brunson found Hartenstein rolling to the basket for easy buckets on several occasions, as Steve Kerr had no answers.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks Updates
Brunson is beginning to garner the attention of many people around the NBA. Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown noted the game plan his team put together for Brunson, as he is the only player along with Stephen Curry that required that kind of attention to detail.
It didn’t work for the Kings either, as Brunson scored 42 of the Knicks’ 98 points in a victory. He should be getting some MVP consideration when it is all said and done. With how he has carried this team throughout the injuries they have suffered, Brunson should be on an All-NBA team as well, as Green noted.
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