The New York Knicks are by no means a lock to be in contention for an NBA championship this season. As they sit in limbo in the Eastern Conference, there is a debate as to whether the Knicks can take the next step and fight for a title or stay where they are in the secondary tiers of the NBA.
Becky Hammon sure has her answer and expressed it well on Thursday. The Las Vegas Aces head coach and ESPN analyst said that the Knicks don’t have “a dude” and that’s a reason why they aren’t contenders.
NBA champion Kendrick Perkins said that Jalen Brunson is that dude, to which Hammon quickly refuted it because of his size.
“He too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning,” Hammon said. “Steph Curry is the only dude.” Hammon listed a few small star players who failed to win championships, seemingly pooling Brunson and the Knicks into the category.
Jalen Brunson has turned into a star with the Knicks and twofold has brought New York back into the basketball spotlight a bit. The Knicks have a legitimate star for the first time in a while and at the very least will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs in the coming years.
Knicks title hopes
As currently constructed, it's hard to see a path to a title for the Knicks this season. They do have pieces fit for a championship roster, but as a whole, they just don’t stack up to the other top teams in the NBA.
New York is on the right path to getting there though and having a player like Jalen Brunson helps. Brunson joined the Knicks as a free agent and immediately upped his game in New York. It has long been a mystery as to why the Knicks can’t attract top stars anymore, but seeing Brunson's success story should help change that.
The Knicks won a playoff series for the first time since 2013 last season and could be in line for more. A championship is still a few moves away though.
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