Knicks' 'Nice, Cold' Jalen Brunson Praised by Former Teammate
NBA free agent and former New York Knick Theo Pinson had nothing but good things to say when talking about the Knicks' star point guard Jalen Brunson, referring to him as a "slept-on player."
"When he was with us with Dallas, what he did in the playoffs, JB nice," Pinson said via the "Run Your Race" podcast "JB cold."
Brunson started his career with the Dallas Mavericks when they selected him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. He spent four seasons in Dallas, averaging 11.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds a game. During the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Brunson broke out to the tune of 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over 18 playoff games for the Mavericks en route to the Western Conference Finals. In the ensuing offseason, he signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New York and left Dallas behind.
In his first season with the Knicks, he averaged career-highs in points (24.0) and assists (6.7) while leading the team to the playoffs, which featured the franchise's first postseason series victory since 2013.
Pinson was Brunson's teammate during the 2021-22 season when they both played for the Mavericks. He was on New York's roster the year prior, but only played in 17 games. Currently, Pinson is not signed to a team after appearing in 40 contests for Dallas last season. Brunson and Pinson previously did battle in the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's championship game, which saw the former's Villanova Wildcats prevail over the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Brunson and the Knicks have high expectations going into the 2023-24 NBA season after making it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season. In addition to the playoff series win, the Knicks also won 47 games, their best tally since the aforementioned 2012-13 campaign.
