"That dude is a first-ballot Hall of Famer" - New Yorks Knicks guard Jalen Brunson gives high opinion of former no. 3 overall pick
Former Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson has praised his former teammate Luka Doncic. In an interview with USA Today Sports, the New York Knicks guard spoke about adapting to playing with him. Brunson said Luka Doncic has already established himself as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in the NBA.
"It wasn’t really difficult (to play alongside him) because you knew what it was," Brunson said. "Luka is such a great talent. He can do anything on the court. I think, for me, I kind of figured out how to play with him because he’s so dominant. He knows how to play the game, he knows how to help his team win."
"I truly loved playing with him because we were in a position to win every night because of him. I’ve said this numerous times and I’ll continue to say it until I speak it into existence; That dude is a first-ballot Hall of Famer."
Last season, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals. The duo carried much of the franchise's heavy lifting in the postseason. Brunson's incredible playoff performance led to him receiving a massive new contract from the New York Knicks this summer.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic hopes to lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals this season.
Jalen Brunson: ‘Luka Doncic Should Be First-Ballot Hall of Famer’ si.com/nba/mavericks/…
Is Jalen Brunson right about Luka Doncic?
Luka Doncic is considered one of the best players in the game today. The Slovenian is the heart and soul of the Dallas Mavericks. Their success depends on Doncic's performances, especially after trading Kristaps Porzingis away.
Doncic won the Rookie of the Year award and has already recorded three All-NBA First Team selections. The Slovenian has been routinely mentioned in MVP conversations. It seems that it is only a matter of time before he wins the prestigious award.
Luka Doncic career playoff stats (25 games):
32.5 PPG
9.1 RPG
8.1 APG
1.6 SPG
48% FG
37% 3P
Luka only trails MJ in career playoff PPG. 🤯🔥 https://t.co/UT3aSSu1QG
Doncic's innate ability to get his teammates involved while dropping over 27 points per game makes him difficult to defend. In his four-year career, Doncic has averaged 26.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game.
The Slovenian regularly stuffs the stat sheet. He seems to improve during the postseason. Such performances have garnered comparisons to Larry Bird and LeBron James.
Jalen Brunson described Luka Doncic as a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. If the Slovenian keeps up this level of performance, Brunson would be accurate.