TNT commentator Kenny “The Jet” Smith was not the biggest believer in New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson last December. Some Knicks fans have kept the receipts following their team’s first-round series win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Smith in December made his case for why the Knicks would remain a mediocre team for the rest of the season. The 2-time NBA champion claimed that virtually every East playoff contender has a star player better than Brunson.
“This is why the Knicks are going to stay in the middle. Every game that they play, they always have the second-best player,” said Smith.
“They play Boston, they’ve got the second or third-best player. They play Orlando, they don’t have a player that’s better than Banchero. Milwaukee, we know they don’t. Philadelphia, they don’t. The Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton is the best player on the floor. … [the Knicks] don’t have the best player on the floor.”
Contrary to what Smith said in December, Brunson played like the best player on the floor for the majority of the Knicks-76ers series. The 6’0″ guard entered Game 6 averaging a series-high 34.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game.
Brunson took his play to another level in the Knicks’ series-clinching Game 6 win. He scored a game-high 41 points and dished out 12 assists in the contest. He also outscored 76ers star Joel Embiid, who finished with 39 points before fouling out in the closing seconds.
Brunson will have a chance to face off against Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton — another player Smith claimed was better than the Brunson — in the next round.
