Jalen Brunson is Helping to Change the Small Guard Draft Narrative

The Finals is putting the small guard under the microscope.

Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) comes off the court after game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Jalen Brunson is amid the highlight of his career, playing on basketball’s biggest stage in the NBA Finals.

On Wednesday night, he was able to score a team-high 30 points. He needed 31 shots to get there, but still managed to win his minutes, helping the Knicks to a 10-point win over the Spurs with late shot-making.

At just 6-foot-2, he’s also helping to curb opinions in the NBA Draft space.

The “small guard” debate has taken over draft philosophy in recent years, with the emergence of players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, the Thompson twins, Dylan Harper and plenty more true guards offering positional size. And wings and forwards coming in with more guards skills than ever before.

Due to the success of those jumbo guards, scouts and decision-makers have slowed on drafting undersized guards. Where gambling on players that stood at 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 wasn't a big deal, it's made less sense to prioritize those players knowing they'll have to defend guards at around 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6.

This has tangibly taken effect in Darius Acuff Jr.’s 2026 draft case, which is somewhat polarizing among pundits.

Having averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game in his lone season with Arkansas, Acuff was one of the best players in college basketball as a true freshman. It’s been hard for guards to see that level of poise and success in Year 1, though he was able to lead the Razorbacks to the SEC title, and eventually the Sweet 16.

He showcased high-octane three-level scoring, a near-3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and came up in the clutch time and again. The only issue is the “small guard” moniker that he’s been tagged with, as he stands at about 6-foot-3, which can seem fair when diving into his defense.

Still, Acuff’s case lies in exactly what Brunson is doing presently. There’s a chance that Acuff is simply that good as a scorer, with the ability to get downhill, hit floaters, pull-up in the mid-range and pepper triples as well. Even more, his play-making ability should help to unlock whatever NBA team he lands with.

And Brunson’s mastery extends further than just Acuff. Christian Anderson and Ebuka Okorie are two players who could be taken in the mid-to-late first, both of which aren’t massive as far as guards go. Still, via Anderson’s white-hot 3-point shooting and Okorie’s ridiculous rim pressure, both could be looked at as more viable backup options.

Not every small guard will be Brunson, who has a nearly perfect roster construction suited to his strengths. But his regular and post-season success has certainly cooled opinions on smalls guards somewhat, which seemed to be fading into the background prior to the Knicks’ run.