Jeff Van Gundy: Jalen Brunson 'Damn Good' For Knicks, But ...

Brunson has lived up to the big contract the New York Knicks bestowed him over the summer. but what's next?

Ten games of the Jalen Brunson era have produced an even record for the New York Knicks. It hardly sounds like an accomplishment to boast about, but it has at least provided the stability the struggling franchise has long sought.

ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy knows what it's like to bring a winning sense to Manhattan, having served as the team's head coach during its turn-of-the-century heyday. Appearing on the "What's on Tap with Tommy Beer" podcast, Van Gundy praised Brunson, earner of a four-year, $104 million contract over the summer, as "by far (the Knicks') best player" in the fledgling stages of the 2022-23 season which has yielded a 5-5 mark. 

Brunson is far-and-away the Knicks assist leader at 7.3 per game he's also averaging 19.7 points. His new sense of movement and finesse to the Knicks' roster has more or less silenced critics who questioned the Knicks offering him such a large contract after partly headlining the Dallas Mavericks' run to the Western Conference Finals last postseason. Together with a stellar assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.3, Brunson has filled the large expectations placed upon him.

Yet, Van Gundy warns that while Brunson has put the Knicks back on track after a meandering 37-win season last year, the team will need more if it plans to make any legitimate postseason noise. 

"Brunson’s their best player (but) he’s probably a top-60 player in the league, top-75 player,” Van Gundy declared. "He’s damn good. They’re fortunate to have him, but they just don’t have that star to take over games and you’ve seen it in Milwaukee when Giannis (Antetokounmpo) just ran roughshod on them. You need those guys if you’re ever going to be a serious playoff threat where you can make a run.”

While the Knicks are 5-5, they've struggled against elite competition, going 1-3 against automatic playoff squads from last spring. The one win was a 106-104 victory in Philadelphia on Friday night, one where the hosting 76ers were missing both Joel Embiid and James Harden due to injury. In the game Van Gundy refers to, Antetokounmpo broke loose for 30 points and 14 rebounds in a 119-108 win for the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 28. 

Van Gundy does believe, however, that Brunson's continued progress could allow the Knicks to obtain that required top premier talent.

“He’s really good," Van Gundy, who has never hidden his adoration for Brunson, said. "(He's) going to make a huge difference when they’re able to attract high-quality top-50 type talents.”

Alongside Beth Mowins and Cassidy Hubbarth, Van Gundy will handle the national broadcast on Wednesday night when the Knicks take on the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/MSG). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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