Jalen Brunson dominated against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night to lead the New York Knicks to a 119-112 win. After the contest, Gary Payton II was asked about the challenges Brunson presents, and he wasn’t in the mood to compliment the Knicks star.
“You know the league, can’t touch anybody,” Payton said. “He’s pretty shifty, so if he gets you leaning one way and then go, you probably gonna commit fully the other way and then it’s up to him if he wants to stop, pump fake, do what we wants and all you need is a little contact and they gonna call it.”
"You know the league, can't touch anybody…All you need's a little contact & they gonna call it…"
–– Gary Payton II on Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/kFAQcjIo3H
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 19, 2024
While the referees can be a bit whistle-happy, I am not sure Brunson gets a whole lot of protection from them. The 27-year-old is averaging 6.3 free throw attempts per game this season, which ranks 14th in the NBA. When you consider Brunson ranks third in the league with 18.9 drives per game, an argument could be made he might deserve a few more trips to the line.
Against the Warriors, Brunson had 34 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal. He was 12-25 from the field, 3-9 from beyond the arc, and 7-8 from the line. Those eight free throw attempts were the most in that game, but he got three of them because Payton extended his foot into Brunson’s landing area, which resulted in a flagrant foul.
Gary Payton can’t guard Jalen Brunson so he tries to take out his ankle then says "You know the league, can't touch anybody, all you need's a little contact & they gonna call it” 😂😂😂 https://t.co/TCW2QIL1Ss pic.twitter.com/4LE5ZRt421
— TRIPLE M 🇩🇴 (@tripleMwassup) March 19, 2024
Well, Payton certainly can’t complain about the officials giving Brunson calls when he does something like that. You could even make the case that the Knicks guard deserved more trips to the line. Brunson got hit in the face on a drive during the game, but the referees didn’t call a foul. He then hilariously asked Bob Myers, who was on commentary, if that was a foul and Myers agreed it was.
With all that in mind, Payton just comes across as a sore loser trying to make excuses for why he and his team couldn’t slow down Brunson. As for how the Warriors guard fared in the game, he had 6 points and 1 assist off the bench.
Draymond Green Admits He Didn’t Think Jalen Brunson Would Turn Out To Be So Good
While Payton was not in the mood to compliment Brunson, Draymond Green was. On the latest episode of the Draymond Green Show, he tipped his cap to the Knicks guard.
“Jalen Brunson is a three-level scorer,” Green said. “He can finish at the rim, he can finish in the mid-range, he got a floater, he got a three, he got a pull-up like, he score at all levels. Me personally, I’d rather guard him 1-on-1 than guard him in a pick-and-roll. Guarding him in a pick-and-roll is tough, almost impossible.”
Green said Brunson has been playing at an All-NBA level this season and admitted he did not think he would be this good.
“I played Jalen Brunson, we did in the playoffs a couple of years ago with Dallas, that is a totally different player,” Green continued. “And by the way he was really good then, so I’m not going to act like he was a bum then…. Not sure any of us thought he’d be this.”
(starts at 2:34 mark):
Brunson is a far better player now than he was in his last season with the Dallas Mavericks. He is a bonafide NBA star, who is averaging 27.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Brunson has led the Knicks to a 41-27 record this season and they are currently fourth in the standings in the Eastern Conference.
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