New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson's meteoric rise among the NBA's top playoff performers has been a wild journey.
The 27-year-old's former college coach at Villanova, Jay Wright, with whom he won two NCAA championships, shared his thoughts on the point guard's sensational playoff campaign during an appearance on "Inside the NBA" on TNT.
Wright told one of the show's hosts, Charles Barkley, that he always recognized Brunson as a leader from day one and expected him to assume a leadership role during his previous stint with the Dallas Mavericks alongside Luka Doncic rather than being the primary focal point.
"When he chose to go to New York, it showed me that he wanted to be the guy. He loves being a leader; he loves having everything on his shoulders. It has surprised me a little bit that he's been able to do it with this much effectiveness right away," the 62-year-old tactician said.
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The Knicks feature several key players who played under Wright at Villanova, including Brunson, guard Donte DiVincenzo, and small forward Josh Hart, all of whom were teammates during the 2016 NCAA title run.
Jalen Brunson continues hot scoring in the postseason
Brunson has continued to be a lethal scorer in the postseason after averaging a career-high 28.7 points in the 2023-24 regular season, a campaign marked by his first NBA All-Star appearance.
The 6-foot-1 point guard is currently averaging 32.9 points in 10 playoff games, the highest among remaining players and second only to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid's 33.0 points average, whom they eliminated in six games in the first round.
"He's one of the top scorers in the playoffs, it's unbelievable he's doing it in playoff time," Wright added.
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