Article graphics by Omar Zahran (@omarzahran.bsky.social on Bluesky)
Jalen Brunson is not only playing against teams in the Eastern Conference this postseason, but also with history. It's been well established that teams led by a smaller guard don't typically win championships. The exceptions to that rule have been Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas. Others have tried, but they have come up short—Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and Nate Archibald were all great, but not great enough to win a title.
That history is troubling for this group of Knicks, who have their best chance of making the Finals in decades. With history and precedent stacked against them, it has opened the door to considering that it will take more than Brunson's heroics to elevate them to the top. We saw glimpses in the Atlanta series: this team needs Karl-Anthony Towns to be the key focus to reach the heights they aspire to.
