The New York Knicks have been on the rise thanks to the play of Jalen Brunson. When the team signed him in free agency, many thought it was an overpay. Now, it is looking like one of the great value contracts in the NBA. Not everyone is impressed though. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently called the superstar a “foul hunter.”
New York Knicks Jalen Brunson Dissed By Brian Windhorst
Brian Windhorst says Jalen Brunson is a ‘foul hunter’
“He doesn’t have the reputation of Harden or Trae Young, but he’s a foul hunter….he uses the dark arts. This is what the referees are cracking down on, the fouls that he gets sometimes are not what they’re going to give… pic.twitter.com/KwWnHI56oZ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2024
Windhorst says that while the New York Knicks guard doesn’t have this reputation, he still hunts for fouls. Jalen Brunson is on the smaller side and does often get to the foul line on his drives.
“He doesn’t have the reputation of Harden or Trae Young, but he’s a foul hunter….he uses the dark arts. This is what the referees are cracking down on, the fouls that he gets sometimes are not what they’re going to give him.”
The NBA has been letting more things go in the past month. Games have become more physical, and players who get calls aren’t getting as many. Does Windhorst have a point about the New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson?
Does New York Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson Get More Calls?
The numbers don’t support this claim about Jalen Brunson. Let’s compare the New York Knicks guard to the other players mentioned. James Harden and Trae Young are known for getting lots of calls. Harden has consistently averaged between 8 and 12 free throws per game throughout his career, and Young has averaged between 7 and 9 each year. Brunson has averaged 6.1 free throw attempts per game, which is a career-high.
The numbers don’t match up. While Jalen Brunson may get a few more calls than other players, he is by no means the worst offender. The issue for the New York Knicks isn’t the lack of foul calls but the massive number of injuries this team has sustained from key players. Windhorst is trying to drum up some news where there isn’t any.
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Matt Brown has been following sports since he was a kid. While football is his primary focus, Matt can talk about any sport anytime. He is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
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