When ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted last night that the New York Knicks had traded Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to the Detroit Pistons, it was Mavs fans who were furious.

While Dallas faithful knew the Knicks had been stalking Jalen Brunson for months, Doncic disciplines were holding out hope that somehow, someway, the Knicks wouldn't be able clear the cap space required to snatch away their beloved Brunson.

However, by sending both Burks and Noel packing, New York cleared $19 million off their books in one fell swoop, paving the way for Brunson to join his dad and his former agent in New York City.

It now seems all but certain that Brunson will be the Knicks' starting point guard on the opening night of the 2022-23 season. (Considering what Knicks fans have been forced to put up with in the past - that's a welcomed sight!)

As readers of this newsletter can attest, I've detailed how overpaying for a player (even if he addresses a significant need) can be problematic, and it sounds like New York is going to offer north of $25 million a year (which is undoubtedly a gamble); however, we'll have plenty of time to dive into the financials and argue about the relative value of future second-round draft picks.

Even though it sounds like the parameters of the deal are $110 million over four years, there is still so much we don't know. Do the Knicks make the salary escalate or decrease annually? Are all four seasons fully guaranteed? Does the total compensation include incentive-based bonuses or a trade kicker? Do they facilitate a sign-and-trade with Dallas? These are issues we can discuss once the contract is finalized and all the details are made public.

Today, let's focus on the player New York is set to obtain, and what he brings to the table.

And let's begin by flipping the calendar back two months to April 18th. That evening, the Utah Jazz were hosting the Mavs in Game 2 of their first-round series. Despite 24/7/5 from Brunson in Game 1, Dallas lost the series opener. They desperately needed a victory on the road to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole.

However, Luka Doncic was still sidelined by a strained left calf he suffered in the regular-season finale. So, what did Brunson do? He put Dallas on his back and carried them to a much-needed win. Brunson poured in a career-high 41 points (on 15-of-25 shooting), grabbed eight rebounds, knocked down six made three-pointers and dished out five assists (vs. zero turnovers). In the process, he became the first player in Mavs franchise history to score more than 40 points and not commit a single turnover in a playoff game.

To put that performance in context, only three Knicks have ever tallied 40+ points, 5+ boards and 5+ assists in a playoff game: Patrick Ewing, Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony.

When the series shifted to Dallas three nights later for Game 3, Doncic was not yet ready to return to the lineup. Once again, Brunson abused Utah defenders, consistently blowing by them on the perimeter en route to a team-high 31 points to go along with six assists.

Over Games 2 and 3, he became just the third player in NBA history to tally at least 70 points and ten assists while committing fewer than two turnovers over a two-game span in the postseason.

Through the first three games of the 2022 playoffs, Brunson was averaging 32.0 points,
5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists (vs. just 1.0 turnovers), and 2.3 made three-pointers, while shooting 50.7% from the floor, over 41% from downtown and 85% from the free-throw line.

Doncic returned to action in Game 4, which led to a slight dip in JB's counting stats, but there was no denying how vital Brunson's play over the first three contests was to his team. By jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the series, Dallas was able to avoid the temptation of rushing Luka back before he was ready. Ultimately, the Mavs would advance all the way to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

Remarkably, Brunson led all players in total points scored in the first round of the 2022 playoffs (ahead of Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Brandon Ingram, respectively).

For much of the first round, he was matched up against All-Star Donovan Mitchell, another player rumored to be on the Knicks' wishlist. Here are the final stats for Brunson and Mitchell in that series:
Brunson:
27.8 points per game,
4.8 rebounds,
4.2 assists (vs. just 0.8 turnovers),
53.2% effective FG%

Mitchell:
25.5 points per game,
4.3 rebounds,
5.7 assists (vs. 2.7 turnovers),
43.6% effective FG%

Brunson did most of his damage in the postseason by relentlessly attacking the rim. According to NBA.com tracking data, Brunson finished the playoffs ranked sixth in drives per game and fifth in points scored off drives. He was one of six players to average more than 10 PPG via drives in the postseason. Ja Morant, Pascal Siakam, Donovan Mitchell, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the other five.

A guard being able to create offense for himself and his teammates by penetrating into the paint is something that New York desperately needs. This past season, RJ Barrett (7.5 PPG) was the only Knick to average more than five points per game off drives. And RJ shot just 41.7% on shots off those drives, whereas Brunson converted 56.7% of his attempts in such situations.

Brunson cooking without Doncic on the court wasn't a major surprise to Mavs fans who had watched Brunson get busy all season.

With Doncic missing 14 of Dallas' first 35 games this season because of a nagging ankle injury, Brunson was asked to shoulder more responsibility on the offensive end, creating scoring opportunities for himself and others. In the first 25 games he started in 2021-22, Brunson averaged 18.8 points, 6.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting over 50% from the floor, 34.6% from behind the arc, and 79.5% from the charity stripe.

Brunson played the best basketball of his NBA career over an eight-game stretch in mid-to-late December, when he averaged 22.4 points and 7.9 dimes a night.

All told, Doncic missed 20 games this past season (17 in the regular season and three in the playoffs); in those 20 contests, Brunson averaged more than 22 points and seven dimes.

JB finished the regular season at 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.2 made three-pointers, and only 1.6 turnovers, while shooting 50.2% from the field, 37.3% from downtown and 84% from the free-throw line.

Brunson was one of only six players in the NBA to average more than 15 points, more than four dimes and more than one made three-pointer, while also converting more than 50% of his FG attempts in 2021-22. The other five players in the club were Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Not bad company to keep.

Truth be told, many New Yorkers have been pining for Brunson for four years. After dominating the Big East en route to winning both the National Player of the Year award and the national championship in his final season at Villanova, many Knicks fans hoped New York would select Brunson in the 2018 draft. And when he slipped into the second round, it seemed they might get their wish. However, Dallas scooped up Brunson with the 33rd overall pick (three spots ahead of New York).

His familiarity and comfort level with the Philly/NYC area is worth noting. This is a kid that has shown he can handle the pressure of playing under the bright lights and take his game to another level when the stress gets ratcheted up. Moreover, the fact that he is choosing to embrace all that comes with signing a huge contract to play in New York, all the increased criticism and scrutiny for the slightest misstep and each missed shot, says a lot about the dude's character. Plenty of players would have chosen to stay put if they were in Brunson's shoes. There would be infinitely less pressure and far fewer outlandish expectations heaped upon Brunson if he spent the prime of his career in Doncic's shadow. Losses would be pinned on Luka. The other sorta comparable example of a recent high-profile player leaving a contending team to join the Knicks is Carmelo Anthony.

By all outward appearances, and based on his reputation around the league, Brunson has the right temperament to succeed in NYC. That's a significant part of the puzzle when it comes to surviving the ups and downs of living and playing in the capital of the world. Some players have the requisite talent but aren't capable of handling the constant, crushing tension. (*cough Kyrie Irving cough*) Not everybody is built to succeed in New York. It sounds like we'll find out if Brunson has what it takes.

Again, the takeaway for today is that the Knicks are dramatically upgrading their roster and addressing a position of need. There's a reason Mavs fans are infuriated; Dallas' second-best player, someone who helped lead their team to the Western Conference Finals, is NYC-bound.

So, New York may have to shell out something like $30 million a season for a player with career averages of 11.9 PPG, 3.7 APG and 3.0 RPG? Hey, it's not like signing a guy to a lucrative long-term contract immediately after a breakout season (which was potentially an outlier) has ever come back to bite the Knicks! What could possibly go wrong?!?

I kid, I kid!!

Stay tuned, folks; we're only just getting started - this week will be crazy.

Talk to you soon…

What's on Tap with Tommy Beer

Jalen Brunson is really good at basketball.