Knicks' Jalen Brunson Gives Honest Opinion on His Recent Defense

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson isn't known for his defensive prowess, but he offered an honest assessment of his performance.

Feb 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

There are a lot of things that New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson does well on the basketball court.

Defense isn’t going to be near the top of the list when anyone is rattling off which areas of the game he excels at. But it is something that he is putting real effort into changing, and it has helped the Knicks turn things around.

After losing nine out of 11 games, New York pushed its winning streak to six games, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the first Sunday Night Basketball game on NBC this season. They aced the start of a brutal stretch of their schedule despite Brunson not making his normal impact offensively, shooting four of 15 from the field en route to only 12 points.

However, he still managed to make an impact in other areas. He handed out 13 assists to keep the offense moving, but it was his effort on the defensive end that many people came away most impressed with.

Jalen Brunson speaks on his defensive performance

Feb 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After the game, he was asked about his individual performance defensively and provided an honest assessment of how things are going.

“I feel like I’ve been better as of recently. I’m gonna give effort every single time. I’d be a ‘below the rim’ rim protector with my charges… just find a way to impact the game… “ Brunson said, via Ian Begley of SNY on X.

Asked about his individual defense, Jalen Brunson said, “I feel like I’ve been better as of recently. I’m gonna give effort every single time. I’d be a ‘below the rim’ rim protector with my charges… just find a way to impact the game… “pic.twitter.com/4032YvqvvW

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 2, 2026

The Knicks’ defense was a major topic of discussion when the losses were piling up. There was something off with the scheme, with players not looking comfortable on that end of the court and breakdowns occurring constantly.

Things have looked totally different during the current winning streak, and Brunson’s performance is certainly part of the turnaround. Playing with energy and effort is more than half the battle to finding success defensively, and he is always going to provide that.

Jalen Brunson producing great defensive numbers

Jan 30, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Against the Lakers, he certainly did his part on the defensive end. Per NBA.com, he was the closest defender on 12 field goal attempts, and only three of them were converted for a made basket.

The 25% shooting by players defended by Brunson had a 19.2% difference from their expected field goal rate of 44.2%.

That has been a consistent trend during the six-game winning streak. 84 shots have been attempted against the All-Star point guard, and only 35 of them have gone in. The defensive field goal percentage of 41.7 has a -5.4% differential.

Brunson is stronger than he looks, and the high basketball IQ that he possesses, which enables him to dominate teams offensively, can be used to help slow teams down defensively as well. Opponents will continue hunting him as the perceived weak link in the defense, and if he continues performing at this level, New York is going to win a lot of games.

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