Stephen A. Smith didn’t exactly go halfway with his praise for Jalen Brunson.
On First Take, he said Brunson “saved the NBA” and labeled him the league’s greatest overachiever. That’s a massive line for any player, and especially for the Knicks captain, who just led New York to a championship.
The reaction makes sense once you look at what Brunson has done. His career has been built on beating the odds tied to his size, where he was drafted, and the contract he signed. He has kept forcing the conversation to catch up with his game.
The playoff production backs up the buzz. Over 19 postseason games, Brunson averaged 28.4 points, 6.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 50.9 percent on two-point attempts and 36.3 percent from three.
What makes him so effective is not some overwhelming physical edge. Brunson isn’t the biggest guard in the league, and he doesn’t win by bulldozing everyone in front of him. He gets it done with footwork, timing, patience, and the nerve to take the difficult shot when the possession starts to fall apart.
That’s why the “saved the NBA” line works as a TV moment, even if the real story is more grounded. Brunson made the Knicks relevant every night and then carried that same level into June.
The challenge now is keeping the standard from getting out of hand. One championship does not mean Brunson has to put up 40 every time New York has a rough offensive night. He still needs help, and the front office still has to build a roster deep enough to take some of the load off him.
The bigger takeaway is simple: Brunson’s reputation has climbed to a place few would have predicted. He already delivered the season Knicks fans had been waiting for.
Now it’s on the team to prove it can build the next one without making him solve everything alone.
In Other News...
Knicks Cant Ignore This Frontcourt Decision Any Longer
The Knicks have made their frontcourt priorities pretty clear as the roster takes shape around Karl-Anthony Towns. With Mitchell Robinson no longer in the picture, New York keeps circling back to the same need: one more big man to help stabilize the rotation and give the team a little more size and insurance up front.
Moussa Cisse was part of that search, but he is off the board now, and the Knicks are still working through other center options such as Moussa Diabate and Yves Missi. There is also a path to open another roster spot by moving a small salary, a wrinkle that could affect Pacome Dadiet or even Tyler Kolek, which only adds to the sense that the Knicks are not done sorting out the last pieces of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Fans Just Got A Painful Reminder About The Second Apron
The second apron has become the NBAs newest hard truth, and the Knicks are hardly alone in dealing with it. Around the league, teams are adjusting their payrolls to avoid the steep penalties that come with crossing that line, a reminder that even ambitious contenders have to think twice before spending their way into trouble. For New York, that reality has already shaped the roster conversation in a very visible way, especially after governor James Dolan publicly took aim at the idea of living above that threshold.
Oklahoma Citys latest move only sharpened the picture, with the Thunder making a financial adjustment that brought them below the second apron and left the Knicks looking at the same league-wide pressure from a familiar angle. It is the kind of cost-control math that now hangs over every front office decision, and for the Knicks it comes with a painful reminder of what restraint can mean on the court. Mitchell Robinsons departure remains part of that ledger, and the broader question is how much more of this kind of sacrifice New York is willing to absorb. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Have Finally Found A Real Answer For That Last Spot
The Knicks still have one roster spot to sort out, and the front office appears to be thinking big-man first. With the team looking to add a center, the appeal is obvious: someone who can help on the glass, hold up defensively and give the bench a more reliable interior presence when the games tighten up later in the season.
One name that fits that profile is Dylan Cardwell, an undrafted player who earned a standard contract with Sacramento by doing the dirty work that translates well at the next level. His rebounding and defensive impact stand out, and there is enough versatility there to make him more than just a body at the rim. The issue for New York is whether Sacramento would even entertain moving him, given the Kings roster depth and the way their current contract situation makes useful young pieces harder to shake loose. [Read more 🡒]