On paper, it’s a quality move. The Knicks filled a big hole in the owner by agreeing with Jalen Brunson a four-year, $ 104 million deal, adding a rising player who had just entered his best moment.
But Jeff Van Gundy said he sees it more than that. He said he believes it is a signing to improve the team’s culture, that the Knicks incorporated a player who will not only offer more goals, games and defense, but will also raise the level of everyone around him.
“[Brunson] it brings a level of competitive spirit, intelligence and seriousness that any team in this league absolutely needs, “Van Gundy, a former Knicks coach and ESPN analyst, told The Post.” There aren’t many. really good and serious competitors available, and I think the Knicks should be very, very happy and proud to have gotten one of them.
“He will find out what he has to do to give his team the best chance to win, and whatever it is. If it means scoring more, great. If it means handling more, great, creating more shots or playing with guys they create. I love its versatility. “
Jalen Brunson and Jeff Van Gundy Getty Images
Van Gundy preceded the interview by admitting a point of bias. He has known Brunson, 25, since he was 3 years old. Van Gundy coached Brunson’s father, Rick, first when he was in middle school in the local fields and later with the Knicks. He has a strong relationship with the family.
This, in turn, is part of the reason he feels so strong for this move. He has seen Brunson move from a McDonald’s All-American in high school to a two-time national champion in Villanova and a prominent star last postseason. Van Gundy knows the work ethic that Brunson has modeled and the dedication with which he treats his craft.
When Brunson entered the 2018 NBA Draft as National Player of the Year in college basketball, most scouts projected the Villanova product as a career alternative. He lacked athletics and the raw physical tools of other guards in his class. But Brunson has improved every year in the league and is coming off a season in which he hit his career highs in points (16.3), assists (4.8), rebounds (3.9) and minutes (31). , 9). In the playoffs, he led the Mavericks for most of the first-round series victory over the Jazz while Luka Doncic was out, and helped them reach the Western Conference Finals, scoring 21.6 points in 46.6 percent shooting in 18 playoff games.
“I think what he is, he’s a major player in the NBA,” said Van Gundy, the last Knicks coach to lead the franchise after the second round of the playoffs. “What he’s always done is improve, and serious players are progressively improving their entire careers, especially during their years of improvement, and he’s just starting to get to his best moment.
“I have no doubt that it will continue to grow and improve because it is very serious. Fools don’t get better. Serious players keep improving because it’s important to them. “
His career so far in the NBA, and his time before Villanova, back it up. Brunson is a player who improves. He wins. The Knicks, who last won a playoff series in 2013 and have only reached the postseason once in the last nine seasons, could use more players like him.
“I can’t stress enough that his serious focus on the game, the improvement and the win, is absolutely what a team that comes from a challenging year needs,” Van Gundy said. “You don’t find too many of these guys in free agency that you can get. They were unique circumstances.
“I think he was very, very happy in Dallas, but this is an amazing opportunity for him to challenge himself as well to be a starting baseman in this league every night. I think he will respond exceptionally well.”