Stephen A. Smith Blames Jalen Brunson for Knicks Title Failure

The New York Knicks beat the Golden State Warriors 110-107, rallying from a 21-point deficit to steal a win. Jalen Brunson dropped 30 points and 9 assists. Some fans could accept that it was an ugly win, given the Warriors' squad. But Stephen A. Smith woke up the next morning furious, and not just about the game. He had a much bigger problem.

Smith did not sugarcoat anything. He came out swinging and made it personal.

"I'm sick, and it's not just because of the dental procedure that I had Friday," he said. "It's because I'm sick with my New York Knicks. I'm depressed, and I'm not gonna get over it anytime soon. The Knicks ain't winning a damn thing."

His frustration centered on Mikal Bridges, who has been in a complete free fall since the All-Star break. Over his last six games, Bridges totaled just 39 points, averaged 6.5 PPG, shot 5-of-24 from three and 16-of-50 from the field. He was literally scoreless against the Lakers on March 8.

"I'm sick. ... I had the New York Knicks going to the Finals. I damn sure don't have that now."

—@stephenasmith following the Knicks' 21-point comeback vs. Warriors 👀 pic.twitter.com/qUHs31o2Bv
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 16, 2026

Brunson Gets the Blame

Here is where Smith dropped the real bombshell.

"This is where I break news," he said. "The person I'm blaming most for all of this is Jalen Brunson."

His logic is straightforward. Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024, a $113 million discount from the max he could have earned a year later.

The Knicks used that financial flexibility to trade for Bridges, sending the Nets four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first, a swap, Bogdanovic, and a second-rounder. Smith's verdict?

"You can't let your organization give up that much to get a dude that's gonna ultimately handicap you from building a roster that can compete for a championship," he said.

Is Stephen A. Smith Right About the Knicks?

If Bridges keeps playing at this level, Smith could be right. The Knicks really sacrificed their draft future to get a second option who is not able to create his own shot in a consistent manner.

Smith also didn’t hold back when he described the Thibodeau story. Bridges complained publicly about the heavy minutes under Thibodeau's coaching. Now that Thibodeau is no longer the coach, Mike Brown is, and Bridges appears to be going backwards. That is definitely a problem not to be blamed on ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌others.

The Counterpoint

Bridges had a great December and was a huge part of last year's playoffs. Everyone falls into slumps, but getting back even stronger is the key to silencing the doubters. Bridges had multiple chances in past games, but he failed to capitalize on them.

The Knicks are at 44-25 and fighting for the top spot in the East.

However, Smith's main argument is still correct- the team has no room for errors. If Bridges does not recover the Knicks will most likely have an early May exit. Once ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌again.

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