06-11-2021, 01:36 PM
(06-10-2021, 07:28 PM)Dahlsim Wrote: Brunson has been good, really good imo for all that could be expected. Yeah he's not your star. He's small so he needs some protection out there from bigs. The Clips were definitely a tough matchup with their big athletic wing version of 'small ball' still being too big unless the other positions and provide cover for Jalen.I like Brunson, and have admired the leaps he has taken in his career with the Mavs. And he may still have room to improve.
Mark Jackson comments that "you don't want to have to ask your backup singers to sing lead". Brunson did so well as a backup singer that maybe people started expected him to be lead, to play at an All star level against All stars. Brunson looks good enough to be exceptional with the right support around him.
I don't tend to agree with the contingent that thinks Brunson should be promoted to a regular starter, while acknowledging that it might work in some games. The fact that a guy is a great backup does not, as you point out, necessarily mean he will be a great starter.
My area of concern with the playoffs is that he maybe can't even be a decent backup in that environment. Someone needs to be able to lead a Luka-less unit that does not get destroyed within a few minutes, and in this series, he wasn't able to manage that. Maybe this was just a particularly bad matchup for him. But, unfair as it may seem, size is a limiting factor in the NBA, as well as skill level.
I am not advocating giving up on Jalen. But if his goal is to be an NBA starter, I'm not sure this is the right place. And I question whether he will be able to be relied on for much in the postseasons.
You may well be right that better support around him would make a huge difference.