Former NBA star Stephon Marbury has voiced support for New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson for MVP consideration.
Speaking on The No Nonsense With Tim Thomas & Scoop B Podcast, Marbury echoed sentiments shared by Kendrick Perkins, emphasizing Brunson’s impact on the Knicks’ resurgence.
Marbury, expressing admiration for Brunson’s game, stated: “Brunson is from Jersey, right? He’s…. [shakes head admiration] I heard [Kendrick] Perkins and very rarely like, from a basketball perspective because I think a lot of guys after they win a championship maybe they feel a certain way about the game when they speak about it. He said Jalen Brunson should be mentioned in the MVP running. Now that’s something that I agree with.”
He continued, highlighting Brunson’s leadership: “What he’s doing right now on the court and not from the individual perspective. What he’s doing for the Knicks he’s giving them the energy of a championship style run and he’s igniting that.”
Marbury emphasized the significance of Brunson’s role in the team’s success: “He’s the head of that and he’s pushing that team in that manner. He’s pushing the culture in New York. He’s literally putting New York on his back and I think that he should be mentioned as one of the MVP candidates, you know?”
This season, Brunson has been a standout performer for the Knicks, averaging impressive numbers across the board, including 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Marbury’s praise extended beyond Brunson’s individual statistics to his impact on the team’s culture and performance: “Especially if his team continues to do well and they continue to rise. I just wanted to really say that because I think that needs to be mentioned and it needs to be spoken about more.”
While acknowledging the team’s success, Marbury also discussed the potential addition of another scoring piece to the Knicks’ roster.
Marbury emphasized the importance of maintaining defensive integrity while adding complementary scoring options to support Brunson and the team’s existing offensive scheme.
In assessing potential trade scenarios, Marbury underscored the need for strategic acquisitions that align with head coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive philosophy and team identity.
“Adding another piece I think is something that can help on the scoring side but because Thibs is a defensive minded coach — I’ve played in his system and I know how he constructs the defense when I played in Boston for a little bit, so I understand his philosophy on what he wants,” Marbury said.
“So he needs players that will buy into that type of system. You’re gonna have like, two or three guys that are going to take the majority of the shots, so that chemistry and how they’re playing now I think it would be disruptive if now Jalen has to come down now and has to throw the ball into the post and then cutting through and waiting for the ball.
“I like him having the basketball and being able to create and being able to throw the basketball to [Julius] Randle and Randle gets the ball off the rebound and he’s pushing the basketball up. Sometimes when you have 3 or 4 scorers on the team… because when one guy is not doing something then the media’s talking about You didn’t perform and you didn’t do this and such and such… you probably have 70-80 possessions anyway so you don’t have that many possessions.
“So you have to account for who’s shooting the basketball and who’s going to take the majority of the shots. So adding another piece? Me? I don’t think trading somebody but I think if you add another piece of a guy who has that same defensive mindframe but can score the basketball but not be a prolific scorer, I think that can help because when we look at the game now, it’s not traditional anymore. It’s conventional where guys get on the court and EVERYONE can handle the basketball.”
