New York Knicks: Becky Hammon Backs, Clarifies Jalen Brunson Analysis
Debate around Becky Hammon's Jalen Brunson analysis on ESPN's "NBA Today" required a nighttime response.
The New York Knicks were at the center of a debate on Thursday's edition of the daily Worldwide Leader talk show, one concerning their contention for an NBA championship.
Hammon's hypothesis, suggesting that the Knicks lack a "1A dude" to be considered among the Eastern Conference's elite was far from new. But her analysis of franchise face Jalen Brunson rubbed some the wrong way, particularly the idea that the 6-2 Brunson was "too small" to be the headliner of a championship team.
"If your best player is small, you're not winning," Hammon, a former New York Liberty star and current head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, said. "John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, you could go down the list. Steph Curry ... he's the greatest shooter to ever walk the planet."
While Hammon preventively shut down the idea of countering with Curry, those who disagreed with her frequently cited the example of Isiah Thomas, who guided the Detroit Pistons to consecutive titles in 1989-90. The backlash was enough to force Hammon's hand on social media, where she authored an open letter from a self-described "Small Basketball Player."
"I stand by my statement that I can’t put him in a LeBron (James), Steph, (Joel) Embiid, type of 1A tier player, and that if your best player is the smallest player on the court, you (probably) won’t win a CHAMPIONSHIP," Hammon wrote in the latter stages of her letter. "This game favors the tall -wish it didn’t .. BUT it does."
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Despite backing her de facto Brunson barbs, the 5-6 Hammon offered him legitimate praise and respect. Hammon is well-versed in Brunson's game, having had to search for ways to stop him when she was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs (2014-22). Brunson fought on the opposite side of a Texas basketball civil war as a 2018 draftee of the Dallas Mavericks.
"For the record… I love Jalen Brunson’s game!!" Hammon wrote in her opening. "He used to give us/Spurs WORK when he played with Dallas..!! I love when undersized players give the league BUCKETS! He’s got a great mind and feel for the game!! GREAT MIND. GREAT FEEL."
Brunson and Hammon's careers have followed remarkably similar paths: both began their professional journeys beyond the first round of their respective drafts before breaking out on one of basketball's grandest stages, the hardwood of Madison Square Garden. Hammon, who went undrafted upon exiting Colorado State in 1999, is one of seven players immortalized in the Liberty's Ring of Honor while Brunson has fulfilled, perhaps exceeded, every expectation a four-year, $104 million contract from the Knicks placed upon him upon signing in July 2022.
"He was passed over in the first round, and then got to the league and showed out.. he’s not a good NBA player, he’s a GREAT NBA player.. much respect," Hammon praised. "He’s an All-Star and will be an All-NBA performer."
Brunson seems well on his way to at least one of those elite honors: his scoring average of 25.3 points per game currently leads the Knicks and stands as a career-high. He recently averaged 28 points and over six assists and rebounds each during a five-game road trip that featured a downright historic performance: in last Friday's win in Phoenix, Brunson scored 50 points and sank all nine of his three-point attempts, tying an NBA record for most triple tries without a miss.
Another prime opportunity for Brunson to prove himself awaits this weekend, as a Christmas doubleheader with the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden begins on Saturday afternoon (12:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
