Knicks’ Jalen Brunson gets eye-opening Steve Nash, James Harden comparisons from Rick Carlisle

“He’s forged out a niche in the NBA, both in league history and in Knick history,” Carlisle said. “It’s very unique. There’s a little bit of Steve Nash, there’s some James Harden, there’s some Dame Lillard…I know Jalen well because we had him his first couple years when I was in Dallas. He’s a guy with extremely strong belief in himself, and New York has turned him loose…I’m very much not looking forward to coaching against him.”

Carlisle was the Mavericks’ coach when they took Brunson in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. The Villanova alum largely came off the bench under Carlisle’s reign, averaging 21.8 and 17.9 minutes per game his first two seasons, respectively. Brunson began his ascent in 2020-21, the year after Carlisle’s departure to Indiana. He finished fourth in voting for NBA Sixth man of the Year, averaging 12.6 points on 52.3% shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 25 minutes. all career-highs at that time.

Nowadays, Brunson triples those numbers on a regular basis. Do the Pacers have any chance of slowing down the two-time NCAA champion?

Jalen Brunson is unlikely to falter for the Knicks in their matchup with the Pacers

Nobody has been able to guard Brunson consistently this year, and that most likely won’t change against Indiana. The Pacers ranked 24th in the NBA with a 117.6 defensive rating in the regular season, and they don’t have anybody that can contain him on the perimeter. Brunson will most likely match up with fellow star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had a 118.7 rating this year.

Meanwhile, the Sixers finished 11th with a 113 rating, and Brunson still managed to average 35.5 points and nine assists against them in the first round. If they couldn’t crack the code against him, Indiana is unlikely to be able to either.

Carlisle, who just won his first playoff series since the 2011 Finals, may want to savor the first-round victory against the Milwaukee Bucks as long as he can. The Pacers were lucky that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were mostly out due to injury. While New York is also missing their second option in Julius Randle, the team has proven to be formidable even with Brunson as the only All-Star.

This isn’t the first time that the veteran coach complimented his former player. Carlisle stuck up for Brunson when he departed from Dallas for the Big Apple. via Peter Botte of the New York Post.

“He’s a guy that understands what winning takes,” Carlisle said. “It takes a certain kind of vibe, a certain level of sacrifice. An all-in level of everything. He’s going to walk the talk. He’s going to be a guy that’s doing all the things that you need to do.”

Unfortunately for Carlisle, Brunson’s all-in mentality may come at his expense in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.