Jalen Brunson is not going to change.
The Knicks know exactly what they’re getting. And exactly what your new point guard will deliver every day, regardless of your game or circumstances.
“For me, they are getting a great point guard, a great leader, a great person. A person who can score the ball, can lead the team and, above all, is hiring a person who is consistent every day, “God Shammgod, who worked with Brunson the last three seasons as coach of Mavericks player development. Mail. “They are receiving a person who is an ordinary person. And in life, not only basketball, for me there is nothing more important than an ordinary person. Every day your energy will be the same, every day you will come with the right attitude, with the right hard work, and it may seem simple to people, but that’s hard. In life, not just in basketball, that’s hard in life, getting a person that you know you can count on every day to be the same.
“I’m not saying you’re not going to have bad days or good days, or some days better than others, but as far as he’s concerned personally, he’s always the same person every day. And that’s a smart, hard-working basketball player that’s the right thing to do.”
For too long, that has been sorely missing in New York. Julius Randle, the team’s big-money signing two offseasons ago, followed up a breakout second season with a mercurial third season, sometimes fighting with fans amid erratic performances and behavior. Evan Fournier, last summer’s breakout signing, went through extreme hot and cold spells, rocking his confidence on the shot.
It has been perhaps most noticeable at point guard, where a lack of consistency at the job that most requires it has plagued the franchise for more than two decades. In recent years, Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose weren’t even available on the court after sparking initial hope. Before them, Jeremy Lin offered a brief flash of success before his reign quickly came to an end.
Brunson provides the Knicks with that long-awaited reliability and consistency at a position that has become infamous for not having those qualities in New York.
“That’s because of the type of person he is, the type of person who raised his family, he’s not really getting into anything too crazy,” Shammgod said. “Everything New York is built on, everything New Yorkers want is already in it. He is not a person who is out there [in the nightlife] He is also a good boy, he is a good human being. He loves the gym, I mean he loves the gym. He will not go to New York and it will be something totally different. He is not a person who stays until four or five in the morning and things like that. He’s going to New York to be the point guard for the New York Knicks, and that’s how he’s going to approach it every day.”
Shammgod knows all about expectations and playing point guard in New York. A high school star at La Salle Academy in Manhattan during an era of the late 1980s and early 1990s that saw New York City point guards become iconic, he is part of Showtime’s “Point Gods” documentary and Boardroom to be released soon. Featuring Mark Jackson, Kenny Anderson, Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, Stephon Marbury, Rod Strickland, Kenny Smith, and more, the film depicts the impact that the era of New York City basketball players left on basketball. and in the cultural community in general. . Shammgod played two seasons in Providence, where as a sophomore he led the Friars to the 1997 Elite Eight. He played one season in the NBA for the Wizards before moving overseas.
Now an assistant with the Mavericks, Shammgod worked closely with Brunson for three of his first four NBA seasons and has seen his development firsthand. With more experience and even greater reins on offense, Shammgod sees better decision-making, playmaking and scoring in New York.
Much has been made of the role Brunson’s father, who played for the Knicks and is currently an assistant coach, played in Brunson’s decision. Shammgod knows the family and knows that everything Rick Brunson instilled in his son prepared him for this moment. Brunson, who grew up in New Jersey, might not be a New York City point guard. But he has what it takes to now be New York City’s point guard.
“I think it sets up really well for him. As for, I’m from New York, so I know the fans love nothing more than a consistent, consistent player. As long as you work hard, the fans will give you the same energy. And his father is an assistant coach there, his father and his family have done a great job with him, helping him and making him the man he is today. I don’t think he has a problem with the fans, and I think the fans will appreciate what he brings to the table every day.
“Look what happens with the Knicks, if you’re with the Knicks you can’t go too high or too low. You have to stay in the middle, and that’s who he is as a person and as a player. He’s never the kid he’s going to be like, when things are going well, he thinks ‘I’m the best person in the world.’ [and] when things are not going well, [think] ‘Oh, I can’t play’, that’s not Jalen. Jalen will always be in the middle and always working.”