Quote:
Originally Posted by TSonn
Brunson was terrible in the playoffs the two seasons previous to the WCF run. Of course, they played Kawhi and the Clippers so that may have had something to do with it. I think the Mavs were putting too much weight on playoff performance knowing that's all that matters when you have a superstar already in Luka.
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Brunson only received 16 minutes a game and was still on the bench rotation in his first playoff performance 2021. 8 points in 16 minutes isn't dismal for the role that he was given.
His second year playoff performance (right before the trade) when he was promoted to starter during the regular season was actually when he blossomed.
In fact, he averaged nearly 28 a game in Luka's 3 game absence in the opening round against Utah, and basically carried the team as the alpha allowing them to advance while giving Doncic ample time to heal up.
All this after a regular season averaging nearly 16 on 50% shooting which is pretty absurd for a guy of his size and stature.
But again, only 12 shots a game. Dallas was unwilling to shift Luka's role to optimize Jalen's obvious potential. The same potential the Knicks saw, which is why they put up the bag.
If Luka can ever morph his offensive game to more a Jokic role where he's throttled his scoring to the mid to high 2x's, I think it will be massively beneficial to himself and the team. The same Yoker that's happy to take the backseat and allow Bubble Alpaca to cook to his content when April hits.
As of today, we really have yet to see him maximize the potential of a 1b, which is probably due to the fact that offensive rhythm rarely develops.
Helluva offensive talent, but like prime Harden...it presents the same issues when it comes to roster construction and playcalling.