Why the Brunson Knicks remind me of Iverson's 76ers

How did Jalen Brunson set a Knicks playoff record with 47 points? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores Brunson's amazing series against Philadelphia, all of the counters he uses on and off ball, and how his patient approach to different defensive coverages has led to 86 points and 23 assists in the last 2 games.
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Music by csus (instrumental)
#ThinkingBasketball

[@nickfowler547]

I think I like watching Brunson so much because his playstyle is so ridiculously relatable. A 6’0-6’1 stocky guard destroying teams with post moves, floaters, pull-up middies in a league full of athletic freaks and anomalies is refreshing

[@user-nw4my8nq7e]

I get where you going with that but Brunson has impeccable footwork, handle and shooting touch. He's uber talented and still very athletic even if he's not jumping out of the gym.

[@nickfowler547]

@@user-nw4my8nq7e for sure, not denying his athleticism and elite skill, just a very unique playstyle for an undersized guy who isn’t super explosive

[@zerocal76]

Solid footwork allows you to do so much more than even a super athletic and explosive player. Its bc you get stuck, cutoff, sealed off etc in basketball so often. Brunson is short (for the NBA) but he still gets low on most of his drives and pivots which allow him to maintain his balance. This also helps him explode upwards better on his floaters and jumpshots. I've been playing w/ this style (obviously not this talent lol) and its helped me stay competitive against pretty much any non-pro level players as I become an old hooper. I hope Brunson inspires a lot of young & old shorter hoopers!

[@nickfowler547]

@@zerocal76 this was very well worded

[@raytheghost1444]

Yea If You Have Great Footwork You Will Always Find A Way To Score A Bucket And Brunson Has Shown That The Last 3 Seasons That's He's Capable Of Not Just Attacking The Basket But Being Able To Score In The Post For A Little Guard

[@baldbald_bald]

Finally people are understanding the genius of Thibs’ coaching. All the discipline and conditioning from playing long minutes, combined with tough mentalities and sacrifice from the players creates a serious contender out of a roster most people wrote off.

[@revyty3134]

I rock wit tibbs. People r babies sumtimes n assume these players must all automatically b like them. This NY starting lineup is proving they built for this ish

[@yohannes6434]

I agree but sometimes Thibs pushes his star players too much. Derrick Rose injury was a prime example.

[@thatscool7877]

@@blue-phoenix115 he won a championship with the 2008 Celtics. You don’t know ball.

[@BenEnlet29]

I mean we saw it with the Bulls. Outside of Rose he had some dogs on that roster. Joakim Noah Taj Gibson Luol Deng Carlos Boozer Corey Brewer and young jimmy butler

[@jordanmorgan3440]

​@@yohannes6434Can't believe people are still blaming Thibs for that. As much as it probably hurts to realize, he shouldn't have been that explosive when dunking and coming down. He would have injured himself no matter who the coach was. That kind of injury is inevitable.

[@mingloff]

I think this video does a great job of showing hartenstein's importance to the knicks as well. Dude is a baller.

[@GuitarInHisHead]

Hartenstein's floater is money

[@gerardvermaat6944]

I was thinking the same while watching the video. Great screens.

[@tonytooshort]

An absolute baller! We love em in NY.

[@Mastabuilda212]

Underrated passer also

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen320]

I wish he was still Denver’s backup center. DeAndre Jordan doesn’t contribute much on the court

[@kweststar]

This also highlights how good of a screener IHart is.

[@drodrig1]

He's so valuable

[@juniorgong1808]

Brunson change of direction and speed is unmatched

[@Vulacior]

Irving.

[@joshuacruz4244]

Better than Irving ​@@Vulacior

[@boris2997]

​@Vulacior Kyrie doesn't have foot work like Brunson

[@MrSamsonite22]

Plus conditioning and heart/toughness.

[@august6281]

and pivoting

[@meiza9370]

OKC Fan here. Have watched every game of this series and I have definitely got some newfound respect for the Knicks. The way they give 110% every game is just admirable. Brunson, despite struggling early on in the series, has showed what kind of impact he has, even when his shots aren't falling.

[@rubenrodriguez4435]

Thanks bro. Respect to OKC. One of the young guns of the Western conference.

[@marvdatboi]

Knicks fan here and it’s good to see people from other fanbases give us our due props.

[@BOnYTB]

I was wondering if OKC was gonna go after OG. He would’ve been a great fit. SGA, J-Dub, OG, and Chet would be an insane core 4. Smallest defender being 6’6 or so. Then they have guys like Cason, Isaiah Joe, J-Will, etc off the bench. I’m sure Dort would’ve been in an OG trade, maybe Giddey too idk. But OG had those ties to NY and he’s obviously a fantastic fit there too. It’d be hard to pay SGA a max, OG like 30-35/yr, then eventually JDub and Chet will get huge bags assuming they keep playing like this and progressing which it seems they will. Both teams are fun and it’ll be cool to see them continue to build. I have OKC to win it all at 25/1 haha. I’ll probably hedge if they make the WCF if it’s against DEN but we’ll see. Good luck e1, enjoy the playoffs. I’m a Pistons fan so I doubt I’ll see my team there for a while, but I love the playoffs. Best time of the year.

[@miguelladinodevera614]

​@@BOnYTBwhat I would give to see those players u named in Spurs jerseys 😂 your Pistons r gonna be something in 5 years, friend. Mark my words. When my Spurs meet your Pistons at some point in those 5 years I'd love to see grueling D for both teams.

[@vincejoshuamartinez2409]

how nice to wake up with thinking basketball serving brunson buffet

[@jaysonturner-williams8490]

A thing of beauty...

[@brandonc422]

I'm not gonna lie I've really slept on the Knicks the past few years and they've really surprised me this year. Brunson is a BALLER. I wish Randle was playing so we could see this team at full strength they could give any team a tough series.

[@GENEVAVIOLATION]

This will probably trigger a lot of people but I actually think they are a better team without Randle. He slows the ball movement down and takes inefficient shots, among other things. They are worse with him unless he learns to take a step back and let the game flow better and not force anything.

[@sclafantasy]

@@GENEVAVIOLATIONagree but in the weeks aftee the OG trade his game wss evolving. Sad to see his season cut short. Shit 23-4 with OG including the playoffs. Im not sure we can beat Boston but we have a chance!

[@jacobschippell2058]

@@GENEVAVIOLATIONall that’s true but if u look at the miami series from last yr we played out best basketball with him. Same this yr post og trade, we were beating damn near everyone by 30. Also his gravity means u cant double jalen and his playmaking really helped open things for the bench. He’s a headache but he’s a 2 time all nba player for a reason. His size and physically would really help wear down a team like the celtics or nuggets in a long series

[@W4Rx1Sx0V3R]

Brunson is easily my favorite player in the league, his playstyle is really entertaining and he always thrives in big moments.

[@bobafil25]

He’d be one of my favorites if I wasn’t a Cavs and UNC fan…

[@zdthekilla6950]

The Brunson burner!!!

[@RamonAcosta191]

His playstyle is more conducive, pleasing for all fans because we can mimick him on any playground, driveway, or backyard hoop.

[@CJC90909]

Jalen Brunson: Farm-to-Table, ethically sourced grass fed hoops Joel Embiid: GMO, partially hydrogenated mutated hoops (not meant for human consumption)

[@Noah-tm5td]

This

[@Noah-tm5td]

This might be one of the best things I've ever read

[@shmuckmcbozo3067]

The lore states the rock is still falling down that philosophical well of a metaphor lol shit goes hard

[@willn8664]

Nah Jalen Brunson would be fully plant-based and cruelty free hoops.

[@namanjames4]

@@willn8664 shut up vegan

[@astropo]

100% endorse the comparison. I’ve heard 04/05 Pistons as a comparison for the knicks, but 01 sixers is much closer.

[@octoeight2088]

Would take Hart and Divencenzo over Snow and McKie any day! 👊🏼

[@VicDamoneJr82]

AI is a bad shooter Brunson is way better and self aware

[@Juan_rivera]

No because that Piston didn't have a number , Brunson is a clear number 1

[@samn90834]

@@VicDamoneJr82different eras. Either way they’re both small guards successfully carrying an enormous offensive load on a gritty, defensive focused team.

[@emersonssbb]

Iverson never had a julius randle. If iverson had a Julius Randle he wouldve beaten shaq and kobe.

[@bmat2730]

Keep doubting him. Keep putting barriers in front of him. He’ll continue to prove everyone wrong. Superstar 💙🧡

[@jaysonturner-williams8490]

Watching Brunson operate in space is a thing of BEAUTY!

[@rickharrison1737]

Playoff Mode is definitely a thing for Ben Taylor. Great vid as always!

[@metalmaniac817]

1:45 can we all just appreciate how beautiful a simple give n go looks with Brunson

[@chrisstfort7]

Such a beautiful play

[@alvaroflores453]

@@chrisstfort7 agree, truly clean. The seamless change of direction on the ball denial and understanding the angle for the cut to make the give and go possible it's fucked

[@cheetah219]

You said it at around 3 mins in, but an under rated part of this Knicks team is their patience. They clock manage extremely well in crunch time the communication seems very clear between everyone. There have been many situations in game 3 and game 4 when the Knicks missed some coverages, they call each other oit on the court and that same mistake just won't happen again and that offensive option is shut down immediately. I watched every series and I don't think teams are ready for this kind of defensive pressure. Nobody is defending like us right now

[@pinobluevogel6458]

As a Mavs fan, it is so great to see Brunson do well at the Knicks. He seems to continually get better and better. Just when you think he can't grow no more, he goes super-sayan in the playoffs to scrape his team through.

[@tommymy210]

Really goes to show how important it is when your star guard knows how to move off the ball. Harden, Luka, etc need to take notes. Brunson would literally be a non factor on his bad shooting nights if he didn’t know how to manipulate the defender without the ball.

[@Jabbersac]

Absolutely, and it really shows up most in playoff situations. That's a big part of why Harden's Rockets were never able to get past the Warriors, and it's why I don't see the current version of the Luka-ball Mavericks as a serious contender.

[@xfanatick7972]

I agree. For harden is that he just too lazy because he was a good off ball player in okc and Luka needs to learn that because he never was in a situation where he could give the ball to someone else. Now he has ky and see how they start winning after they got defence and playtime together. Harden and Luka do be the much better playmakers tho but they still need the ball in their hands for that which can be predictable sometimes.

[@xfanatick7972]

@@Jabbersacyep as for the mavs they need a coach who stops playing the „let Luka cook“ basketball. Luka can definitely win games with that but it’s just not enough for one guy to do that in the playoffs. Kidd needs to make plays and coach Luka to play off ball because his basketball iq is definitely good enough for that.

[@t4d0W]

@@Jabbersac Considering that Luka is also taking a chunk of the Mavs cap, its hard to find him reliable two-way wing help. Brunson is practically playing with an all decade Villanova team from 2010s (honorable mention to Donte DiVincenzo) and OG who can reliably defend 1~4 and muscle Embiid for a few possessions to keep the Knicks bigs out of foul trouble. You can see the reward the Knicks get with Brunson playing off ball and even with their rebounding. PJ Washington, THJR, DJJR and Gafford don't offer that same reward with ball movement on offense.

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

@@Jabbersac Warriors were the best team ever and the Rockets took them to 7, only losing because of an injury and insane shooting. They lost fair and square, I’m just saying that that’s absolutely no justification for your point. James was good enough to win and be FMVP (assuming he didn’t choke or slump at all in said hypothetical Finals)

[@devvv4616]

Brunson is thet ultimate 4yr college player fundamentals guy

[@t4d0W]

I'd argue fundamentals only gets you so far. Brunson's has realized his NBA ceiling because he's been improving on his footwork. Which has also led to his improvement on handles and protecting the ball (taking a page from Doncic) so he can attack the basket at those odd angles and finish. Or pivot and go for that mid range. Hell he's learned a bit from his former Mavs teammate as well in taking the match ups by backing down a smaller defender when Maxey was on him. Then trying to finesse the bigger guys on him at the basket. His adaptation at NBA speed in the playoffs is something special.

[@jonathansnow21]

Reminds me of the Iverson Sixers. Also reminds me of another Thibs team, the D Rose era Bulls.

[@RamonAcosta191]

True. Og is our Luol Deng.

[@Kaoren717]

@@RamonAcosta191 Brunson = Rose, OG = Deng, Randle, = Boozer, Mcbride = Kirk Hinrich, Hart = Jimmy Buckets, Noah/Asik = Hartenstein/Robinson, Rip/Korver = Divencenzo, very reminiscent...

[@bulja80085]

I am rooting for them in the East, being from Europe it is hard to pick favorite teams, I usually root for the Nuggets since I am Serbian but that kinda feels like cheating this year so I want to branch out a bit, and the Knicks just play with so much heart, plus they probably have the best chance of beating the Celtics in the east this year, and Brunson might be my favorite player in the league, both a good playmaker and an amazing scorer and while he isn't an amazing defender he puts the effort in and does what he can with his short build, In the West I am still mostly rooting for the Nuggets but I do hope they get challenged a bit more than they did last year because at no point last year did I ever even think they might lose a series, when your team wins every game easily it is hard to root for them, I think it is natural to want to root for underdogs, so Knicks are my favorite team to watch at least for now.

[@MrAnonymoose]

They’re absolutely gonna get challenged. TWolves ain’t no joke. Anthony Edwards is the real deal. Nuggets in 7 tho.

[@overlordupchuck]

10:02 'they also have a ton of heart' *shows josh hart* LMAOO

[@officialthomasjames]

Sixers fan here. Honestly a great comparison. 1 offensive juggernaut and a bunch of great defenders in a 7-8 man rotation.

[@alexvergeldedios]

Analysis and videos like these make ALL basketball players learn and become better. TB lifting up the game of Basketball💪

[@ry_an.]

Brunson’s just on another level

[@sabbywins]

Brunson is such a beauty

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

8:23 Thats an INSANE strategy

[@RamonAcosta191]

This is such a dope Knicks' Brunson analysis!

[@hasone3354]

They are a tough out for whoever they might face

[@xXAjaxXx]

Damn, that Hartenstein/Brunson 2-man game is some of the craftiest screen setting/screen usage I've ever seen. Talk about being on the same page.

[@hardwoodgems]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the sceipt on this one. Also, watching Brunson play in slow motion is akin to seeing replay on 2K where an advantage is gained through a particular animation.

[@kevkeisha]

What is nice it's how little energy he is expending during his scoring. How efficient his movement is. Very reminiscent of Luka. No wasted action.

[@tridra5714]

Well he did play with him

[@JedDJGonz]

All the wordplay at the end *chefs kiss*

[@shirishsachdeva7820]

Wake up Babe, new thinking basketball content just dropped

[@abrahamgn3614]

With the best song too

[@chrilpy]

Wake up babe, the bot comments are here

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

Your boyfriend has good taste, you're a lucky man.

[@jujuonthatqueef5043]

@@Woozlewuzzleablethey touch weeners

[@nickmautone1935]

I have fr watched every single one of his videos

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

Been saying he's gonna be better than Tatum, Embiid, or Durant this postseason and despite a heavy clowning a few weeks back I'm feeling good about it.

[@nathanthomas4525]

Great work putting this together. Really enjoyed it especially me being a Knicks fan 🙂. Brunson is special but the work Thibs and the coaching staff has put in to make this team what it is for me is outstanding.

[@Michael-tg4oh]

Great video!!! Nice insight!!

[@arturo0602]

such an aesthetically pleasing game

[@knotationmusic]

The irony is not lost on me that you’re comparing Brunson to a Sixers HoF/Mount Rushmore candidate. Great parallel and analysis, Ben.

[@xfanatick7972]

Brunson is definitely an top10 nba player and will be in that conversation as long as he continues to play like this. His skillset is beautiful to watch. Can the knicks win with this kind of helio ball tho? We will see.

[@sevsthepokey]

I think of Jalen Brunson as this Lone Ranger, or Batman or something. Robin Hood. He doesn’t have any special powers, all he’s got is his toolbelt and his instincts. And he might have the deepest bag in the whole world.

[@J_Crutchfield]

Excellent breakdown

[@trevorkosa5563]

i love jalen brunson, i love him.

[@uriel7940]

I love his game

[@dacwardztv]

Masterclass of a bb video

[@antonioleon3123]

Great analogy

[@warrenkruger1966]

I thought the exact same comparison. Quickness, toughness, and an engine that never stops. BTW, I'm a Philly fan, so I know!

[@Pochitaman30]

"They have a lot of heart" shows Josh Hart😂. Anyways this was a fire breakdown and im already a fan of Brunson but this made me like him even more

[@elimcrae385]

This video also really shows just how great of Hartenstein is as a screener too he’s just such a great offensive weapon

[@noconsent]

Man Knicks are such a well coached team. Everyone is doing is fantastic job of reading the defense and getting in good position, and most important for Thibs, everyone is taking good shots.

[@cemperor10]

Awesome vid

[@cibida1]

Great video

[@taivo2520]

If you looked at the movement of NYK team, they were creating space for each other to play, the team played as a whole, beautiful to watch. Kinda like EuroLeague in this case. And they know Jaylen will pass to them when they’re opened for a shot.

[@sclafantasy]

“A big part of this game was how tired the 76ers were but the Knicks LIVE to be tired.” Sums up this Knicks team perfectly

[@Cain-x]

If Randle was there, can you imagine the gravity he would give and Brunson all of the space needed to operate? I wish I could see that healthy team soon.

[@mudyez]

Seeing this, I was waiting for the: "LOL, got it? This video isn't even about Brunson, but Hartenstein!"

[@mulaedza2505]

The "answer " bar at the end was tough

[@matthewmaayen1088]

You see how rebounds is the most important thing in basketball

[@cmi255]

that was some slick footwork by Hartenstein at 4:49

[@Christian900]

Amazing

[@nycbaby_8743]

Let’s go Knicks 🔵🟠🙇🏾‍♂️

[@smokeythebear201]

Let's go Knicks babyyy 💙🧡

[@TheAdrian229]

It never ceases to amaze me. How good almost all the players from 2023 wc squad are right now. Brunson, Haliburton, Banchero, and Edwards all are leaders of very good teams and some of the best players in the league. Bridges, Reeves, Jackson, and Hart are also essential players for their teams. Bobby Portis is an amazing 6th man, and Kessler is a great paint defender. So basically, only Cam Johnson is a bum. The more I watch basketball this season, the more I believe, that "F-tier" team of WC could beat dream team wannabe squad for the Olympics. Of course in a fair FIBA game

[@DWmc210]

10:01 nice editing😂

[@Sebastian-gf2fk]

Counter is the key word here. He just has a counter to everything.

[@shashwatsingh2099]

Reminding us of Iverson’s 76ers…against the 76ers is heartwarming and ironic

[@ytqh2834]

Good vid

[@billybadass3056]

been a LOOOONG Time since anybody put legit respect on the Knicks name other then 2013's Knicks and its nice to see... Durant would be a great addition to this team

[@TheSecretFbi_0]

"A ton of heart" LMAOO😂😂

[@timswabb]

This also reminds me of the 2010-11 Bulls, coached by Thibs, heavily reliant on Derrick Rose for offense, but great on defense.

[@loftyguy11]

"They also have a ton of heart." *Cuts to Josh Hart.* That was good. 😂

[@Kobe-jz2zz]

Subscribed

I love the nickname Mighty Mouse for Brunson.

[@TheTEN24]

Still weird seeing TB cover the Knicks and giving them some praise but this team is awesome and just a true team. They need to give Hartenstein the bag this off-season he’s been huge

[@Ditteauxessay]

I realize 1:54 was blind pig. Very nice to see it in action, especially from a ball dominant guard

[@BigBoyDanny123]

Combine this with the most favourable whistle in the league and it’s hard to stop. Would love to see Maxey get half the calls he does!

[@manguman7547]

This is excellent content. Also only 1 TO last game I believe

[@ChasPadg]

literally thought abt this comparison yesterday

[@tberry2060]

This was amazing. Now can you do a video on all the dirty plays Embiid has done during the series. Please and thank you

[@dimelo58]

Let’s go knicks babyyy

[@Chapa-pa-pa]

Orange and Blue Skies baby.

[@erix4erix]

thanks

[@alexknight1361]

We really need a video for Kyrie. His performances so far have been incredible (and underrated).

[@TheWhyPodJH]

"While I don't know the Answer yet..." Well played.

[@b_d15]

I love his herky jerkiness, it’s not necessarily pretty but it’s definitely got a unique aura. I still remember the first game he played as Knick. I feel like a proud parent 😢😅

[@15awesomehighfive]

JB is the best at rejecting screens. Not even a spry, healthy Mitchell is better. Pair that with his sublime footwork and improved shooting and you've got one hell of a resilient playoff scorer.

[@KillerEX999]

"A ton of HART", "I don't know THE ANSWER yet" Well played by both The Knicks and Ben Taylor.

[@Just0wnedEsport]

Nice little wordplays there with Hart/heart and "the answer"

[@rondyardosa92]

This team literally has 2 Harts (hearts) doing all the dirty work to allow Brunson to work wonders on offense

[@sgshumblecrumb6046]

I actually think the Knicks when healthy have a very nice, deep roster around Brunson, but without Randle and possibly Bogdanovic now, especially with how Game 4 was with Brunson scoring 47 out of 97 points......it makes for a very 01 Sixers like performance. That team in 01 had role players who did the grunt work very well which allowed Iverson to play his game to his best ability. As a Sixers fan I wish my team had more guys like Hart, Anunoby, Divencenzo, etc. Some of the Sixers players have heart...some of the others.....not so much I'm afraid. It seems like every player on the Knicks (except the injured Randle) has that type of dog mentality that has made all of the difference in the series thus far

[@joeyboikly]

This should be a video about how to set picks

[@Julian-dm9hx]

lets go nyk

[@PeaneutzTV]

"They do remind me of that Allen Iverson team from two decade ago, tho I i don't know *THE ANSWER* yet, the question is..." gotchu on that one, smart !

[@jack_ssr]

🔥🔥🔥

[@ruhaanpremi2306]

"A ton of HART" 🤣🤣

[@kulpritt1]

Brunson is fun to watch. Hea really fucking good

[@captaineri.223]

Exactly

[@southp4w795]

jb is a great representation of ny style basketball, hurky jurky, finesse his way to buckets, rather than relying on freak athleticism

[@Tommorow1994]

He's like a combination of Iverson and Nash

[@BOnYTB]

Obviously nobody as good as Brunson on offense, but it reminds me of a few Detroit teams in the past. The great defenses, a PG like IT or Chauncey, contributions from everyone. Again no single scorer like Brunson, but some similar vibes.

[@jak1165]

One thing I noticed with Brunson dragging Emiid out from the rim (and at times late in game four actively SWITCHING INTO him), he's not in a position to contest a missed shot so Tobias Harris has to contend with OG and Josh Hart by himself