The Jalen Brunson pretzel-twisting Olympics are in full swing after his rough play to start the NBA Finals. Concern ranges from moderate to “See, Becky Hammon and Paul Pierce were actually right about him!”
You’ll have to forgive the New York Knicks and Brunson himself if they’re not indulging the panic. They know this is likely as bad as it’s going to get for him, and that he’s already showing signs of his old self.
Jalen Brunson isn’t going to be worse than this
Though Brunson is averaging 27.3 points for the Finals, his scoring comes on sub-40 percent shooting inside the arc and sub-32 percent shooting from downtown. He also has as many turnovers as assists (13), and through three games, New York has lost its minutes with him by 13 while winning the time he’s on the bench by 30.
If you’re wondering whether this is a bad omen for your high usage star, the answer is a resounding no. It’s actually worse than that, as you can see below:
the other examples of negative BPM and +/- in a 3-game playoff span with a 30+ USG% all underscore the futility of high-usage hoops w/o turnover suppression & efficiency
— David Lee (@dlee4three) June 10, 2026
this Knicks team is too talented to pigeonhole themselves into Brunson helio-ball https://t.co/ceCA804EVZ pic.twitter.com/Zdh5jAxzRv
This isn’t pretty. Nor is it a blessing in disguise. Brunson is the Knicks’ most important player. His struggles are a not-so-silent killer.
Yet, there is some solace in knowing he’s never played this out-of-character for so long.
Consider this: Brunson has yet to average more than 0.86 points per shot and free-throw attempt in the Finals. He has never done that for three consecutive games in a Knicks uniform. The last time he went on such a cold streak was almost four years ago. He closed out a pair of Dallas Mavericks 2022 playoff games in less-than-Brunson fashion, and then turned in an inefficient debut with the Knicks to start the following season.
Brunson’s turnover rate against the Spurs would also be the second-worst of his career, across both the playoffs and regular season. His free-throw-attempt rate would be a career-postseason low. His 39.6 usage rate would be, by far and away, the highest he’s ever notched.
The list goes on. And it is all to say that, right now, we’re watching outlier performances from Brunson.
If you still aren’t sold, also consider that Brunson tends to see his efficiency tick up in the middle of a playoff series. Here is his true shooting percentage breakdown since joining the Knicks:
- Game 1s: 56.5 TS%
- Game 2s: 52.0 TS%
- Game 3s: 55.1 TS%
- Game 4s: 59.3 TS%
- Game 5s: 59.6 TS%
- Game 6s: 60.6 TS%
- Game 7s: 44.3 TS% (one-game sample)
Unless you believe the alien invaders from Space Jam permanently sapped him of his shot-making, ball control, and passing instincts, his track record suggests he’ll turn things around.
The Knicks are still receiving glimpses of the Jalen Brunson they need
It’d be more tempting to sound the Jalen Brunson alarm if he weren’t delivering mini pockets of what makes him so special. Not only is he doing just that, but these peeks into his pinnacle have mostly come during the fourth quarter, otherwise known as Jalen Brunson Time.
New York’s captain has scored more points in the final frame of this series than anyone else. And he’s done so while shooting 50 percent on twos (10-of-20) and 40 percent on threes (2-of-5).
This isn’t to suggest the Knicks are free from concern. They need to travel greater lengths to lighten Brunson’s on-ball responsibility. JB himself can do a better job of passing the buck onto Karl-Anthony Towns.
You know what, though? We’ve seen Brunson and the Knicks do exactly this, both in the regular season and playoffs. There’s little reason to believe they can’t do so again. The proof is in his track record—and, to some extent, in this series as well.
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