For Jalen Brunson to climb the ranks of the greatest New York Knicks in history and join a coveted territory that belongs to Clyde Frazier, Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony, he would have to leave an extremely memorable mark.
Though this seems virtually impossible for Brunson, an outlet to do so is evident. And it consists of him leading the charge of a run to the NBA Finals, which would be the Knicks’ first since 1999.
This was highlighted on one of the recent episodes of ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast’ by Zach Lowe, who made an extremely valid point.
Theoretically, Brunson having his name in the same discussion as Ewing, Anthony, and few others seems somewhat odd. Why? He became a member of the Knicks just a few seasons ago in 2022. But, if he takes the Knicks to the NBA Finals, it would feel wrong to leave Brunson out of a conversation he deserves to be in.
Jalen Brunson is equipped with the tools to make history
Considering Jalen Brunson is back in the playoffs as a three seed, directly after making the Eastern Conference Finals roughly a year ago, he is certainly creeping up on those all-time New York Knicks rankings. It might be hard for the doubters to accept how little time the 29-year-old has done it in, but it’s reality.
The opportunity is right in front of Brunson. He has the perfect coach in Mike Brown, who understands the value of his point guard and appears willing to cater to his needs.
He also has one of the best second options in the league in Karl-Anthony Towns, the leader of a dream-like supporting cast of players that fit Brunson's playstyle when things are going well. And, most importantly, he has teammates in his locker room that wants to win as badly as he does.
What else does a superstar need by his side to defy all odds and do the unthinkable?
Brunson got off to a great start, defeating the Atlanta Hawks in game one of the first round, recording recorded 28 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in 36 minutes, shooting 3-4 from beyond the arc.
The three-time All-Star and his Knicks fell in Game 2, but may have gotten the wake-up call they needed for the rest of the postseason as a result.
If Brunson keeps this up, taking down Atlanta and helping the Knicks advance, expect his squad to knock off opponents one at a time. That'll better position the point guard to be regarded alongside the best of the best in his franchise's history.
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