ESPN Analyst: Jalen Brunson ‘Greatest Knick Ever?’

Those that carve the New York Knicks’ metaphorical Mount Rushmore better get ready for renovations.

That was ESPN analyst Jay Williams’ primary takeaway from the Knicks’ latest playoff triumph, a 118-115 decision over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. Point guard Jalen Brunson led the way with 41 points, capping the series off with at least 40 in each of the final three games.

Despite Brunson’s relative metropolitan brevity … he’s currently in the midst of his second season in Manhattan … Williams, a college basketball star and the second overall pick of the 2002 draft, believes that he’s well on pace to place himself among the franchise’s finest.

“I really think Jalen Brunson is going to go down as one of the greatest Knicks, if not the greatest, Knick ever,” Williams said on Friday’s edition of “Get Up!.” “Everyone wants to win because he sets the culture foundation for the Knicks.”

Williams’ colleague Brian Windhorst took things to a national level, remarking that the Knicks’ $104 million signing of Brunson is becoming one of the most impactful transactions in NBA history, worthy of inclusion next to other moves like Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant’s respective transfers to the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors. The relatively paltry salary, Windhorst further claims, makes Brunson one of the best values in all of sports considering the production the Knicks are getting.

Williams did clarify that Brunson will need a championship ring on his finger before he yanks the title of Knicks king away from Walt “Clyde” Frazier, but New York is indeed the closest it has been to an NBA title in recent memory with his services in tow.

This season saw the Knicks win 50 games and land the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and Brunson currently stands as the leading scorer (in terms of total points) among NBA postseason participants. The win over the Sixers, which saw Brunson join some elite postseason company, also marked the first time the Knicks advanced at least one playoff round in consecutive seasons since a nine-year streak between 1992 and 2000.

Brunson will get a chance to inch closer toward that required ring when the Knicks open their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Indina Pacers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

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