Charles Barkley Crowns Jalen Brunson Knicks’ Greatest Free Agent If He Wins NBA Title

Superstar point guard Jalen Brunson has led the New York Knicks to 12 straight wins in the 2026 playoffs.

Charles Barkley Crowns Jalen Brunson Knicks’ Greatest Free Agent If He Wins NBA Title

Charles Barkley and Jalen Brunson (Image via FirstSportz)

The New York Knicks are a game up on the San Antonio Spurs, and most of it came down to how Jalen Brunson attacked the second half.

The point guard had left the game earlier after Harrison Barnes fell on his knee. But then, he came back to lead the charge and put his Knicks in the lead in front of the Spurs’ faithful.

This was quite the change for someone who was first a bench-warmer on the Dallas Mavericks, and then slowly started to prove his worth over time to become the leading superstar on one of the league’s most popular teams.

Playing in New York has its own pitfalls, and even some all-time greats, regardless of the sport, have struggled when their famed media start asking tough questions.

Brunson has been a breath of fresh air. He does not make it all about himself and has quietly led his team to where they can break the city if they win the title.

If Brunson is able to deliver a championship to New York, it’ll be the greatest free agency signing ever.

Charles Barkley said on Get Up

The Hall of Famer understands that fans may want to throw in LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and others, as they have helped teams win titles after joining as free agents.

But the Round Mound of Rebound made it clear that those players were legit superstars when they signed. On the other hand, Jalen Brunson was a nobody. Yet, the Knicks took a chance on him, and he is about to rewrite their history book.

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Longtime analyst believes Jalen Brunson is underrated

Charles Barkley believes an NBA championship will vault Brunson among the top echelons of the league’s best players. But generally, players with All-NBA first-team call-ups are talked about in that fervor.

Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic
Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic (Image via Complex Sports/Threads)

The Knicks guard has made it to the second team the past three regular seasons. Michael Wilbon believes it is because the intangibles are not considered.

Jalen Brunson is at least as valuable as Luka Doncic. At least. Brunson isn’t a great defender, but he doesn’t take a ‘I don’t give a damn approach.’… He’s a willing defender… Luka doesn’t care about that side.

Michael Wilbon said on First Take

The longtime analyst pointed out how voters and fans love the fact that Luka Doncic scores 30+ points on average, which is why he gets a first-team selection. But his effort on defense is laughable at best.

Whereas Brunson is a willing defender and is also a hard-working player and leader. But since those things do not show up on the stat sheet, he misses out on accolades he deserves. That is why he is always labeled as an ‘underrated’ player.

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Former champion claims Spurs cannot use tactics used for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against Jalen Brunson

The San Antonio Spurs overcame the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. To the uninitiated, they might believe that the West champions should deploy the same tactics that limited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against Jalen Brunson.

The way he gets into the mid-range with floaters and his hesi, it throws you off. His game is kind of unorthodox in a way that it throws you off with his off-balance shots off the glass, left hand, going right, left. And so I think you have to figure out a way to get the ball out of his hands of that nature.

Paul Pierce said on No Fouls Given

This was Paul Pierce making it clear that the same tactic will not work against the NBA Cup MVP. He plays differently and has a variety of moves that require a lot of effort on the defender’s part.

SGA does not have this many variations, and that is why the Spurs were able to stop him. But Brunson needs a different tactic if they are to avoid him leading his Knicks to the championship.

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