In the 2025 playoffs, several superstars were expected to take over the spotlight and single-handedly carry their team deep into the playoffs.
While most of the spotlight was on names like Luka Doncic, it’s actually Jalen Brunson who has emerged as arguably the best and most consistent performer of these entire playoffs so far.
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Having led the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in over two decades, JB has looked absolutely unstoppable, and Kevin Garnett couldn’t stop raving about the 6’2″ point guard who has outwitted and outperformed every opponent so far.
Garnett has high praise for Brunson
The Knicks have had to fight tooth and nail to make this deep run. In their first-round series against the gritty and young Detroit Pistons team, many were expecting an upset. However, Brunson averaged an incredible 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per game while logging an impressive 40 minutes per game to lead his team to a 4-2 win in the series. And he didn’t slow down in the second round, either.
Against the defending champions – Boston Celtics, “Brunson Burner” emerged as the series’ best scorer, averaging 26.2 points and 7.2 assists per game, again securing New York’s advancement in six games.
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On his podcast, “The Big Ticket” praised Brunson not just for his scoring, but for how he’s elevating his teammates, thriving in clutch moments and adapting his game so fluidly that no defensive scheme has been able to contain him.
“Man, he’s top five. He’s gonna go down as one of the best in the playoffs… When the playoffs come, he steps his game up. When playoffs come, Brunson steps his game up,” Garnett said. “If you gotta take somebody out of the game, you gotta take the ball out of his hands. If you don’t do that, then he’s too good to go one-on-one. He’s in the zone, bro.”
Brunson needs to be at his best if the Knicks are to win it all
Historically, the narrative around the Knicks has been that they show flashes of potential during the regular season but falter once the playoffs begin. This time, however, the story has flipped. New York currently holds the fourth-best defensive rating in the 2025 playoffs, and impressively, all five starters are averaging over 13 points per game – a testament to the team’s balance and cohesion.
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So, if the Knicks are to give their fans the joy they have desperately sought and avoid another heartbreak, this time against Rick Carlisle’s Indiana Pacers, who eliminated the Knicks last postseason in the second round, Brunson needs to prove his worth as a leader.
The Knicks are the favorites in this series; they have home court and it’s their best opportunity to reach the Finals in a long time. The last time they were at the grandest stage was in 1999, when Patrick Ewing led them there. The last championship the franchise won was in 1973 when Willis Reed dominated the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers and Reed won the Finals MVP.
So, there’s a huge pressure on the Knicks given the opportunity they have, but if they manage to knock out the defending champions like Boston, they can beat anyone in a seven-game series.