Jalen Brunson has been amid many debates this season, as experts and fans are trying to decide if Brunson could be the No. 1 option on a championship team. Candace Parker gave her thoughts on the matter, giving Brunson his props but making an erroneously incorrect statement when she claimed Brunson was disappointing in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.
“As a No. 1 option, last year in the playoffs, great first round, second-round not so much.”
Candace Parker on Jalen Brunson’s 2023 postseason:
“Last year in the playoffs, great first round, second round not so much”
Jalen Brunson averaged 31.0 PTS, 6.3 AST, and 5.5 REB on 50% FG in the second round series vs the Miami Heat.https://t.co/ku9330C3Fb
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) January 24, 2024
Josh Hart has responded to Parker’s take on X, roasting the former two-time WNBA MVP.
“Shows you some of them actually don’t watch basketball.”
Shows you some of them don’t actually watch basketball https://t.co/WMNsr0CQWi
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) January 24, 2024
Many Knicks fans would swear that they had a shot at beating the Heat in last year’s playoffs if anyone outside of Brunson had stepped up. Jalen averaged 31.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in that series. His performances in Games 1 and 2 were incredible, as Brunson nearly single-handedly carried the Knicks in that series.
Even the first-round series was not bad for Brunson, as he averaged 24.0 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on good efficiency as the Knicks won a five-game series against the Cavaliers.
Parker was trying to keep the same tune her WNBA head coach Becky Hammon had about Brunson, but it’s clear she made a slight oversight while doing her research on what Brunson did last playoffs.
Becky Hammon Was The First To Say Jalen Brunson Can’t Lead A Team To A Championship
Jalen Brunson has established himself as the best player on the Knicks since signing with them in 2022. He’s averaging 26.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists this season as the Knicks look destined to make another playoff run. But despite their success, Las Vegas Aces’ head coach Becky Hammon cast aspersions on Brunson’s ability to lead the Knicks to a title.
“At the end of the day, they don’t have a dude. You got to have a dude. You gotta have a 1A dude and they’re missing that at the end of the day if we’re just getting down to brass tacks. No, (Brunson is) too small… Can I say my philosophy? If your best player is small, you’re not winning. John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, you could go down the list. Steph Curry is the only (dude).”
Josh Hart is a very loyal teammate, having played with Brunson in college on the Villanova Wildcats as well. Just like he fired back at Parker, he fired back at Hammon as well.
“People are gonna say stupid s— all they want. At the end of the day, the beauty about him, he doesn’t care about what other people say. He cares about winning and he cares about success.”
The Knicks are 27-17 this season, having one of the best records in the NBA in the new year after acquiring OG Anunoby. It’ll be fascinating to see what they can achieve in the playoffs with their current team and whether more acquisitions are on their way.
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