New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau applauded Jalen Brunson’s ability to draw charges following Friday’s 119-106 home win vs. the Toronto Raptors.
(via New York Knicks):
Reporter: “Jalen leads the league in charges drawn. Is that a skill?”
Thibodeau: “Well, it’s anticipation. I think when you say, ‘Is it a skill?’ Yeah because it tells you a lot about how his mind works, so he’s able to read plays and anticipate what’s happening, and then his willingness to give up his body, sacrifice that for the team, that’s how you win and that’s how you win big. So he’s impacting plays, and when you talk about charges, you get the same benefit from a charge as you do a blocked shot. We have elite rim protection with Mitch [Robinson] & Isaiah [Hartenstein], but then we have other guys who step in and take charges. The fact that he’s willing to do that night after night, it says a lot about him and how much he cares about winning. I think those type of plays, you can’t help but get fired up. It inspires people and you can see that, and then usually you can get on a run, you get a couple of those plays, a couple hustle plays, and the next thing you know you’ve got a 10-point run.”
