Paul George: Not Going to Lie, Didn't See Knicks' Jalen Brunson Being This Good
Not even Paul George knew Jalen Brunson was going to turn into one of the best players in the league with the New York Knicks.
The Los Angeles Clippers star discussed Brunson on Wave Sports + Entertainment's Podcast P (46:11:00 mark) and explained that he didn't see this type of jump even though he knew the point guard was a "really good" player:
"Nah, not like this. I ain't going to even lie. I thought he was really good. And you see the flashes of what he's doing now. You saw those flashes and those plays when he was in Dallas, but obviously small sample size when you playing alongside Luka [Dončić] and so you don't see that. But I mean when Luka went out and Jalen Brunson became the starter and that stretch where Luka was hurt, he showed that he could handle and run a team and be the face of a team. So you saw the signs, but I didn't think this good, especially what he's doing in probably the biggest market that you could do it in the toughest probably franchise that you could play for with the expectations, the pressure in New York, he's delivering. He's been tough. He's been extremely tough. I think he just figured it out. Especially with no Julius [Randle] too."
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It was easy for Brunson to be overshadowed by Dončić when he was on the Dallas Mavericks, but he has quickly established himself as the face of the Knicks.
He's playing at a level that only some of the best players in NBA history have reached:
The Villanova product was the main storyline in New York's Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, as he was in the locker room for much of the first half because of a foot injury. The Knicks trailed by double digits at halftime, but he returned and spearheaded a comeback for a 130-121 victory.
New York hasn't been to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, but Brunson has the franchise just two wins away from breaking that slump. If he does, more and more NBA players will recognize his greatness, just like George did.
