Take it back to a year ago. Back to the skepticism surrounding Jalen Brunson. Back to the concern over an inflated contract on Leon Rose’s friends and family plan. Back to Brunson’s No. 67 ranking on ESPN’s top 100. Back to Mark Cuban’s public indifference about losing the point guard.
Now look at the situation: Brunson is underpaid. He’s ranked No. 32 by ESPN. Cuban went from indifference to throwing a fit over Brunson’s father, tanking a season and trading for locker-room toxin Kyrie Irving.
This narrative turnaround occurred because of the greatest season by a Knicks point guard since at least Stephon Marbury. Then the greatest playoffs from a Knicks point guard since Clyde Frazier.
And yet, we’re still generating the same questions about Brunson: Can he be better? Is he the franchise player or the supplemental star?
