Knicks HC defends Jalen Brunson after controversial Becky Hammon statement

Brunson has been a major success since joining the Knicks ahead of the 2022-23 season. He helped guide them back into the playoffs last season and has been their clear-cut best player over the first 27 games of the current basketball calendar. He is averaging 25.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, shooting 47.2% from the field and 45.8% from 3-point range.

Despite Brunson's on-court heroics, Hammon is right. The NBA favors tall, talented and athletically gifted players. At 6-foot-2, Brunson is a few inches too short to be considered a generational talent who can be the primary piece on a championship roster. He is likely better suited to being a secondary option, as he was with the Dallas Mavericks next to Luka Doncic. 

For all of the backlash Hammon has received from the Knicks fanbase, it's ironic that a common theme among them is that their team needs to add another star. Surely, if a star wing or big man became available, New York would show interest. It's not that Brunson isn't capable of being a primary player, but rather, it creates problems on the defensive end. Having a star who also boasts size mitigates that issue. 

Thibodeau clearly trusts Brunson. The veteran guard has earned that. However, whether the Knicks are willing to admit it or not, they've probably had similar thoughts to Hammon behind closed doors.