Jalen Brunson’s path to becoming a star didn’t start with a bigger role. It started with learning how to thrive in a smaller one.
Back in his early years with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson spent his time behind Luka Doncic. That could have been a frustrating setup for plenty of players, but Brunson treated it like a chance to build something. He understood that mastering the job in front of him would pay off later, and that approach helped shape the player he eventually became after joining the New York Knicks in 2022.
A big part of that mindset came from JJ Barea. The longtime Mavericks guard set the template for the kind of backup Brunson wanted to be, especially after Barea’s memorable run in Dallas, including the 2011 NBA Finals win against the Miami Heat. Brunson saw Barea as the model for how to help a team without demanding more than his role called for.
That was the lane Brunson stayed in while he was with the Mavericks. He didn’t push for a larger share of the offense or try to jump ahead of the process. Instead, he focused on doing what the team needed, the same way Barea had done.
"My mindset was, I'm filling JJ Barea's role. He came off the bench for Dallas.
He did all these great things for Dallas. That's where I see myself.
I'm gonna work to be better, but that's where I see myself. That's where I feel like I can help this team," Brunson said on the Road Trippin' Show about his role when he was in Dallas.
"The more you show in your role, the longer your leash gets, the more you're able to do. People just want to say, 'Hey, I can do this, I can do that.'
Well, do what's asked of you first. Perfect it.
Master it."
That philosophy carried him through his Dallas years and set the stage for what came next. When Brunson arrived with the Knicks, the job changed. For the first time, he became the go-to guy, a role that felt new to him at the time.
Now, after making that leap, Brunson is viewed as one of the NBA’s best. The foundation, though, was laid long before the spotlight fully found him.
In Other News...
Knicks Championship Window Suddenly Comes Down To Leon Rose
The Knicks finally broke through in Mike Browns first season, ending a 53-year championship drought and giving Leon Rose immediate validation for the roster he assembled. What made the title run especially striking was how little of the core came through the draft, a reminder that this front office leaned on veteran talent and shrewd team-building to get over the top.
Now the challenge shifts from celebration to preservation, because the hard part of keeping a title window open is often less about finding stars than keeping them aligned. New York still has important work to do on the contract front, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart both needing to be locked in beyond their current team control, and the next steps will say plenty about how Rose plans to sustain what the Knicks just built. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Could Lose A Crucial Championship Piece For One Frustrating Reason
Miles McBride has become one of the Knicks more important supporting pieces, but his long-term future in New York is already looking uncertain. With the team expected to keep operating under salary cap pressure tied to owner James Dolan, the guard is on track to finish out the final year of his current deal rather than work out an extension, a setup that puts the Knicks in a familiar bind when it comes to retaining useful role players.
For a team trying to stay in the championship conversation, losing a dependable guard because of finances would be a frustrating outcome even if it is not yet a done deal. If McBride does reach free agency, there should be no shortage of interest, with the Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies among the clubs that could come calling, leaving New York to weigh whether it can afford to keep one of its more valuable pieces in place. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Core May Hinge On Two Stars Making One Sacrifice
The Knicks offseason math is starting to come into focus, and it is not especially forgiving. With Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart both nearing extension territory, the front office has to weigh how much of its core it can keep intact while still leaving room to build around it. The broader question is familiar in todays NBA: contenders often survive not just on talent, but on whether key players are willing to ease the financial pressure long enough for the roster to stay balanced.
In New Yorks case, that means the conversation may center less on pure market value than on the sacrifice required to keep the group together. Towns remains one of the most important pieces on the roster, while Hart has become the kind of connector every contender needs, and both situations could shape how long this version of the Knicks can stay together. The model is clear enough, but the hard part is whether the numbers end up matching the teams championship ambitions. [Read more 🡒]