In the media, legends like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal dismissed the Knicks’ chances from the start. Becky Hammon said New York didn’t have the personnel and that Jalen Brunson was too small to be “that guy.”
Kenny Smith misrepresented on TNT that the Knicks always have the “second best players on the court every night.” This argument hasn’t aged well, considering the season Brunson had.
Despite him beating Damian Lillard by every metric, Brunson failed to become an All-Star starter.
Knicks fan extraordinaire Stephen A. Smith made the remarkable claim that Quentin Grimes was playing well for the Knicks just a few weeks ago, despite him having been traded to the Detroit Pistons months earlier without a major role on the team. This makes you wonder how much you pay attention to their games.
Surprisingly, no Knicks are finalists for the awards despite their 50-win season. Brunson may still be in the top five in MVP voting, but currently being ranked as a winger on NBA.com is truly remarkable.