FIBA World Cup: Knicks' Jalen Brunson Finding Positives Despite Falling Short
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" convinced the world that "if you ain't first, you're last." Jalen Brunson doesn't appear to see it that way.
Call it shock or a legitimate search for silver linings after a heartbreaking loss in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Asia, but the New York Knicks point guard is trying to stay positive as the United States' men's national basketball team closes out the competition in Asia.
“I think this has been fun and it’s helped me get ready for the season,” Brunson said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I am just taking it as positive as I can be right now. Obviously, we have another game (Sunday), but, (this summer) is going to help me in the long run.”
Following a 113-111 loss to Germany in Friday's semifinal action, Team USA is resigned to a third-place consolation game against Canada (4:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2). Against a Canada team featuring Brunson's New York teammate RJ Barrett, Team USA will look to avoid its first instance of consecutive World Cups without a podium finish.
Ken Blaze, USA TODAY SPORTS
Brunson struggled against Germany despite a respectable box score (15 points, 7 assists): he had trouble defending the German backcourt, namely Toronto's Dennis Schroder, who paired 17 points with nine assists. With Brunson at a minus-19 when he was on the floor, the Americans' final grouping in the semifinal ran Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana) at the point as their championship dreams expired.
In the aftermath, Brunson described his performance against Germany as "terrible, plain and simple." (H/t New York Basketball on X).
Thus ended a roller-coaster summer for Brunson, a season whose highs drastically dominate the lows: this summer saw Brunson wed his longtime high school sweetheart Ali Marks and the celebration was moved up to accommodate his World Cup training schedule. His first tour with Team USA's senior group featured several standout performances, such as a perfect shooting game in the exhibition round against defending World Cup champion Spain.
While Brunson's national prospects will likely center around whether he did enough to secure a spot on the 2024 Olympic team, he has bought himself plenty of prestige in New York, where he's set to tip off his second NBA season in blue and orange.
With the Knicks, Brunson established himself as an undeniable offensive option and helped flip the team's fortunes last spring to the tune of 47 wins and the franchise's first postseason series victory in a decade. In what should only have Knicks fans tearing their calendars even quicker, Brunson thinks recent history has put him on pace for an even bigger season with the Knicks.
“In my past," Brunson noted. "I’ve seen that a lot of players who have done this, going into that (next NBA) year have great years."
