Knicks' Jalen Brunson: 'Legit Superstar' Like Butler, Beal and Brown

"He’s a legit superstar-caliber player that gets it done when it matters the most ... So this guy continues to get better, and we have to start putting him in the conversation with the likes of the other young superstars around the NBA.'' Kendrick Perkins on the Knicks' Jalen Brunson.

The New York Knicks have a leader in Jalen Brunson. So does Team USA. But in Brunson, does each side have a "superstar'' on par with the likes of Bradley Beal and Jaylen Brown?

That's the assertion of former NBA player turned analyst Kendrick Perkins, who issued this bold statement during a discussion about whether Brunson is Team USA’s best player on ESPN's “NBA Today.''

“Absolutely (he is Team USA’s best player),” Perkins said. “He’s the engine to this team, and at what point are we going to start actually putting Jalen Brunson in the same category with guys like Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown?”

Perkins then rattled off some of Brunson's impressive credentials that would lead to that evaluation.

“We’re talking about a guy, outside of Team USA and representing for his country, that helped the (Dallas Mavericks) go to the Western Conference Finals, then put the Knicks on his back last season and helped him get to the second round,” Perkins added.

Brunson certainly elevated his game when the competition was most fierce. He averaged 31 points and 6.3 assists in this spring's playoffs against a Miami Heat team that went to the NBA Finals. He did it with consistency, as Brunson scored more than 30 points in four of the six games, including matching his playoff career-high with 41 in Game 6.

“He went toe-to-toe with the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler,'' Perkins said. "He’s a legit superstar-caliber player that gets it done when it matters the most. 

"So this guy continues to get better, and we have to start putting him in the conversation with the likes of the other young superstars around the league just to be fair."

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Knicks? Click Here.

Follow AllKnicks.com on Twitter.