Remember when Jalen Brunson wasn`t considered a top-tier, `1A` player for an NBA championship-contending team? It might feel like ages ago, but that was a common discussion point just last season. Now, Brunson has clearly become the premier fourth-quarter scorer in these NBA playoffs, leading by a significant margin.
In fact, as of Wednesday night`s games, the Knicks star had accumulated a remarkable 86 points in the fourth quarter during the playoffs. The next closest player was Jamal Murray with 46 points. Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard followed with 45 points each, while Jayson Tatum had 44. As if that wasn`t impressive enough, consider this: Brunson is currently averaging 10.8 points in fourth quarters, shooting an impressive 50.8% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc.
All of this from a player who stands only 6-foot-1.
So, for the casual sports fan tuning into the NBA for the first time this playoff season, the natural question is – how is the smallest player on the court consistently dominating in the game`s most crucial moments?
Let`s start with the obvious: He`s a legitimate threat to score at all three levels. Just in the fourth quarters of the first two incredible wins against the Celtics in their second-round series, he scored using a variety of methods: moving off screens for threes, hitting difficult mid-range jumpers, finishing effectively at the rim, and consistently drawing fouls to get to the free-throw line. Simply put, he has a complete offensive arsenal, which stems from a remarkable blend of elite ball-handling skills and natural basketball IQ (often called `feel`).
While those are broad descriptions, what specifically gives Brunson the unique ability to overcome his lack of size and explosive athleticism is his absolute mastery of numerous subtle techniques. Let`s delve into 10 specific aspects that highlight his exceptional skill.
1. Elite Shot-Making
While we often see Brunson operating primarily off the dribble, it might actually be what opposing defenses prefer. This is because he is absolutely deadly when playing off the catch. This season, he made 42% of his catch-and-shoot 3s, maintaining that percentage whether contested or not. In the playoffs, he`s shooting an incredible 53% on catch-and-shoot threes. So far in the Celtics series, he`s made two in the fourth quarter – one coming off a screen and flare action (`blind pig`) and another following an offensive rebound kick-out.
2. Patience Off the Bounce
When Brunson operates with the ball, perhaps his most valuable attribute is his patience. `Pace` is a modern term used to describe players who control the speed of the game, meaning they don`t get rushed. In Brunson`s case, whether in isolation plays or operating off ball-screens, he rarely tries to simply blow past his defender initially. Instead, his primary goal is to create an angle or force a slight weight shift in his defender to gain that first advantage. It`s a deliberate approach that aligns with the stoic, often expressionless look he wears on his face.
3. Footwork
Brunson possesses impeccable footwork. This isn`t just true when catching the ball, but particularly after he picks up his dribble. He utilizes multiple pivots, step-throughs, and fakes while expertly maintaining his pivot foot. He has mentioned in the past that the foundation for this footwork comes from studying post-up play, specifically the techniques used by old-school big men. Sometimes, Brunson strategically turns his drives into post-ups, leveraging this classic footwork with success even against larger defenders.
4. Creating Contact
Brunson has a low center of gravity and a sturdier, more compact build compared to most NBA guards. Therefore, despite not being the quickest or most explosive, he is among the strongest, especially in his lower body. He`s rarely pushed off his spot and, conversely, excels at using his body to create and, more importantly, maintain his scoring angle. This physicality is also a significant asset for drawing fouls, and Brunson has developed quite a repertoire of moves to make this happen. Scoring easy points is essential for any dynamic scorer, and when you can`t rely solely on size or athleticism to pressure the basket, getting to the free-throw line provides an efficient alternative. In the NBA, the ability to get fouled is a skill in itself, and while it can frustrate opposing fan bases (like the Pistons`), Brunson now employs clever baits and even subtle exaggerations with the same precision he applies to the rest of his offensive game.
5. Balance
Another benefit of his lower body strength is exceptional balance, which might actually be Brunson`s greatest strength. Despite the league`s emphasis on eliminating mid-range shots, elite scorers still need them, especially in late shot-clock situations. Due to the constant defensive attention he receives, Brunson rarely gets clean, uncontested pull-up jumpers. Instead, he has a deep arsenal of runners, fade-aways, and step-backs, yet he still shoots an impressive 48% on dribble jumpers inside the arc. Why? Because he possesses the remarkable body control to maintain his balance on all these challenging shots, even when he`s airborne or shooting off his back foot. A prime example is the dagger he hit over Jrue Holiday late in Game 2 to give the Knicks the lead.
6. Separation
To achieve balance on his floater, Brunson often drives hard and then suddenly brakes (`decelerates`) on his final forward step. He uses a similar maneuver to create separation when dribbling, and it resulted in one of the most significant moments of these NBA playoffs so far. When Brunson effectively shook off Ausar Thompson in the final moments of the Knicks` series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Pistons, he created an astonishing amount of space against a very talented defender. He accomplished this by taking a long stride with his left leg and then immediately planting, stopping, and pushing off in the opposite direction, all in one fluid motion. Fans saw Thompson fly out of the picture, Brunson bring the ball back through his legs, and then drain the jumper, but the critical move was the action of his left leg.
7. Finishing Package
According to Synergy Sports, Brunson hasn`t dunked the ball all season. So, how does a 6-foot-1 guard who doesn`t dunk still manage to finish 60% of his shots at the rim? The answer lies in his advanced layup package. The foundation includes many of the same characteristics we`ve already highlighted in other areas – strength, balance, knowing how to use his body to shield defenders, and deceleration. These are all complemented by a naturally soft touch and the dexterity to finish with either hand, on either side of the basket, and off either one or two feet.
8. Ball Security, Passing, and Eye Manipulation
Brunson is now in his seventh NBA season, and in every single one, he has averaged more assists than the previous year. This season, that figure rose to 7.3 per game, up from 6.7, despite playing the exact same number of minutes. Perhaps even more impressive is how well he takes care of the ball while handling such a high offensive workload (he had the second-highest usage rate in the regular season). In fact, this season he is one of only three players in the league to average over 80 touches per game while committing fewer than 2.7 turnovers. But Brunson doesn`t just read the defense; he manipulates it. When his scoring threat draws multiple defenders, he is among the very best in the NBA at using his eyes to influence defenders` movements exactly as he intends.
9. Pick-and-Roll Prowess
Nearly 40% of Brunson`s offensive possessions originate from moving off a ball-screen. The Knicks generate an impressive 1.04 points per possession on these plays, ranking in the 88th percentile across the league. Again, this involves overlap with several variables we`ve already discussed, but his ability to read defensive coverages and manipulate them to his advantage is crucial. Late in Game 1 against the Celtics, he forced Jrue Holiday to switch assignments with Al Horford twice, even though the Celtics were employing two different coverage schemes. In the first sequence, Horford was initially guarding Karl-Anthony Towns, indicating a likely switch intention, but instead of allowing the switch to happen cleanly in the middle of the floor, Brunson used the same left-leg crossover move seen against Thompson at the precise moment Holiday committed, forcing Horford to chase him away from potential help defense. In the following possession, Horford had adjusted and was now positioned in a `drop` coverage, staying below the level of the screen. This time, Brunson immediately created separation off the screen, forcing the switch, and then drew Horford out before sinking another dagger three. The fact that he possesses a high release point allowing him to score over the 6-9 defender is just another valuable tool in his already extensive arsenal.
10. The Intangibles
This category could encompass an entirely separate list. It includes his relentless work ethic, leadership qualities, innate sense for performing in crucial moments, and everything else that contributes to the mindset and approach needed to maximize every ounce of his natural talent. Perhaps Brunson himself articulated it best when asked what young kids could learn from his game. He responded, “No matter how big, strong, fast, or talented, it`s all about your hard work, the things you put into the game.”
Jasper Hawthorne