Brian Windhorst Heavily Disrespects Jalen Brunson: “He’s A Foul Hunter. He Uses The Dark Arts.”

Brian Windhorst surprisingly criticized Jalen Brunson by pointing out how he draws contact and gets to the foul line a lot.

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Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Brunson has emerged as one of the best scorers in the NBA this season. Brian Windhorst believes Brunson’s offensive pace has been helped by his ability to get free throws, comparing Brunson’s style of drawing fouls to Trae Young and James Harden.

“He doesn’t have the reputation of Harden or Trae Young, but he’s a foul hunter. He uses the dark arts. I’m not taking a side, there have been times this year when Brunson got an unfair whistle. But this is what the referees are cracking down on, the fouls that he gets sometimes are not what they’re going to give him. The Knicks, as impressive as they’ve been, they’re in a spot where at the end of the game, they need these calls.”  

This is an interesting observation, as Brunson doesn’t rank at the top of the list of players taking free throw attempts. Let’s find out where Brunson is on this list of NBA players who get the most free throws (minimum 50 games played). 

1. Giannis Antetotokounmpo – 11.0 FTA 

2. Luka Doncic – 8.9 FTA

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 8.6 FTA

4. Jimmy Butler – 7.8 FTA

5. Trae Young – 7.8 FTA

6. DeMar DeRozan – 7.8 FTA

7. Zion Williamson – 7.1 FTA

8. Damian Lillard – 6.8 FTA

9. Paolo Banchero – 6.8 FTA 

10. Jayson Tatum – 6.7 FTA

11. Anthony Davis – 6.7 FTA

12. Devin Booker – 6.6 FTA

13. Anthony Edwards – 6.3 FTA

14. Jaren Jackson Jr. – 6.3 FTA

15. Jalen Brunson – 6.1 FTA

Brunson’s low placement on the list shows that if he is foul-baiting, it isn’t nearly affecting games in the same way that players like Harden and Young have in recent seasons. Brunson wouldn’t even be the Knick averaging the most free throws a game if Julius Randle hadn’t been hurt for most of the season, but he’s averaging more free throws per game (6.6 FTA) than Brunson.

It seems Windhorst is trying to indicate a trend where Jalen is trying to get more shots, but it’s hard to say if any statistical data would support Windhorst’s assertions. He’s averaging just 5.05 FTA per game over the last 15 contests he played in, lower than his season average.


Jalen Brunson Is Receiving Superstar Calls

Brunson’s free throw attempts may not be among the very best in the NBA, but he does shoot a lot of free throws for a 6’1″ guard. Brunson ranks ahead of LeBron James on this list, which does indicate there’s a high frequency of calls for him. 

Opposing players have remarked about the same, with Gary Payton II recently saying that you can’t guard Brunson because of how fouls are called.

“You know the league, can’t touch anybody. He’s pretty shifty, so if he gets you leaning one way and then going, you probably gonna commit fully the other way and then it’s up to him if he wants to stop, pump fake, do what he wants and all you need is a little contact and they gonna call it.”

Brunson’s whistle has become better for him over this season. He’s averaging 27.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists over the year, sitting top-five in both total points and scoring average in the NBA. 

He’s nearly solidified an All-NBA selection, which is a further testament to his growing profile in the NBA.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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