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Hidden Gems: Jalen Brunson plays an old game for Mavs



Jalen Brunson is considered by many to be the best reserve midfielder in the league in recent seasons. Now, he is proving that he can be so much more.

Brunson has received more attention this year with his change in the starting lineup. In those 32 games, he averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds with solid effect. How did he score so much, with only 6-1 and be listed at £190? It might come as a surprise to learn that his game relies heavily on the intersection of physicality and craft.

“I like to play with touch,” Brunson told JJ Redick on “The Old Man and The Three” audio file. “If contacted, I can throw you off balance a bit. I can hesitate or get in and out, or do something to throw you off balance to pull up or stay in your direction. That’s what I’ve learned. I must. The bigger guys are always with me. ”

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You can see that physicality pretty much every time Brunson drives with the ball. He’s not the fastest or healthiest in the league, so he’s become as adept at using moves as Barkley.

Named after Charles Barkley, Barkley is a technique where when a shot starting from the penalty area is cut, a player drops back down the post to establish a good position. Brunson may be small, but he’s stronger than he looks. Watch him Barkley fight Jae Crowder, who is over 5 inches and 45 pounds.

When Brunson gets to that mid-range area, he’s automatic. Each Glass cleaninghe’s been right around the 90th percentile in the last two years when he hits those shots.

Brunson was also able to catch those backgrounds, using extreme skill to get the shots. He plays like a big man, with one step up and down that would make Kevin McHale proud.

Another area where Brunson surprisingly excels is substitution efforts. Guys his size are not considered good finishers. Take Fred VanVleet, who is at the same height as Brunson shading more than half of his shot at the belt. Brunson hit 71% of his efforts, roughly matching teammate Kristaps Porzingis’ 7-3 rate.

Brunson’s strides towards the rim are a joy to watch. They took me back to the college dorm room 20 years ago, gathered around the Playstation 2 and pushed buttons on the NBA street.

Mikal Bridges will join the conversation about Defensive Player of the Year this season. Brunson made Bridges look completely lost as he performed the moves in his kitchen.

Brunson’s bag of tricks made him the top 15 isolating player by effective numbers. This figure is significantly better than Luka Doncic and in the same company as famous strikers Ja Morant, Zach LaVine and Damian Lillard. He may be able to handle a higher load in a larger role.

Brunson may score one-on-one, but he’s also a team player. He’s a very willing screener – the Mavs will let him lie deep in the back lane to get Doncic to switch to smaller defenders. He is also a good passerby who can read them all.

That team’s first mentality really shined in Brunson’s helping defence. He’s almost always in the right place. He applies pressure without undue help using stunts and closes the driving distance with good positioning. He is extremely smart when he knows how to zone the weak points of the floor and protect two players at the same time. His father, Rick, played and coached in the NBA, and Jalen is the son of a coach.

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Brunson’s ability to defend the ball is not really good. He can be solid and kept in front of his man, but his size did not limit him. The bigger players will shoot right at him. Pick-and-scroll defense also causes some problems because if he has to switch, he’s basically baking bread. He’s a one-position defender, and that’s hard to come by in the NBA these days.

Defensive limitations aside, Brunson is a fine player with the opportunity to get better with an expanded role. The Doncic fit was fine, but the Mavs played significantly better in terms of numbers with only one of them playing at a time. Brunson is often relegated to roles without the ball with Doncic. While Brunson is an okay 3-point shooter, he is better with the ball in his hand.

Brunson’s name is starting to heat up in the commercial rumors. He and his teammate, another Hidden Gem contender in Dorian Finney-Smith, are about to get paid. They will check to see if Mav is willing to tax to keep both. If the answer is no, then Brunson can be moved. He is reportedly looking for a contract that pays him $20 million a yearand he will be worth it.

Can Brunson continue his success in a larger role on a new team? It’s understandable to be skeptical of a lousy defender who isn’t an elite level guard and a mediocre 3-point shooter, especially given the way the game is played these days. But he is proving that some things are timeless.

Brunson is an unusual player, making him difficult to judge unless you watch a lot of him. In short, he impacts victory at a high level. He took the low-travel route to get there, using Barkleys, dribbling hesitantly, skimming steps and missteps along the way.





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