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One of the reasons for the New York Knicks' success last season was their smothering defense, finishing tenth in the league with a defensive rating of 113.4. It's not a surprise, though, since defense is coach Tom Thibodeau's calling card, and his players have all bought into his defensive philosophy. However, they also said that good offense is better than great defense, and there was maybe no other player who embodied this saying better than the late Kobe Bryant, and Knicks star Jalen Brunson agreed.
Watching the Mamba's 81-point game in 2006 on NBA TV, Brunson revealed what he would personally do against Bryant.
“Me personally, I would call timeout and tell coach to put someone else on him,” Brunson said. “I know my limitations for sure.”
“Me personally, I would call timeout and tell coach to put someone else on him… I know my limitations for sure.”
Jalen Brunson on how he would stop Kobe Bryant 😂
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/pfQlR07Xcn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 23, 2024
Brunson further praised Kobe and lauded his “mindset” and influence on the NBA.
"Kobe could have a bad game and everyone would still think that he's the greatest… He allowed people to think that with his mindset you can achieve anything."
Jalen Brunson on Kobe Bryant's influence 🙌
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/fBJS3qDkHV
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 23, 2024
Kobe's record night vs. the Knicks
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Like many other teams, Kobe Bryant had a history of torching the Knicks. On February 2, 2009, as the Lakers were gearing up for their championship run, Kobe scored 61 points in their 126-117 victory over the Knicks, setting a new record for most points scored in Madison Square Garden. At the time, Kobe was the league's best player, and he proved it with high-scoring performances against every opponent.
It's understandable for Jalen Brunson to feel like that, since Kobe Bryant also had a reputation of torching the best defenders teams threw at him. Everyone has already seen his 2004 buzzer-beating game-winner against “Kobe Stopper” Ruben Patterson in Portland. The San Antonio Spurs' Bruce Bowen may have bothered Bryant the most, but the Mamba still averaged 26.3 points against him. Likewise, the Spurs have beaten the Lakers only once in the playoffs.
Still, one would wonder how prime Kobe would fare against the modern NBA's defenses, which many fans feel has weakened since the hand-checking days. With teams focusing mostly on shooting threes and layups, Kobe would have the mid-range all to himself, which was his go-to shot, anyway. While Bryant only averaged a respectable 32.9% from three, he would have adapted to the modern style and shot even more triples.
New look for New York
Anyway, even if Jalen Brunson wouldn't have dared to defend Kobe, his Knicks rely on their hard-nosed defensive toughness to beat down their opponents. What may be missing from their team is another scoring threat besides Brunson, which was why the Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges in the offseason.
The addition of the skilled two-way wing gives the Knicks more versatility on both sides of the ball. They can match the firepower of teams like the Milwaukee Bucks or the Philadelphia 76ers, and they have more agile bodies to bother the Boston Celtics. Likewise, Thibodeau wouldn't need to worry about playing his new wing all 48 minutes, since Mikal Bridges simply doesn't miss games. In the last two seasons, he played all 82 games for the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.
It's going to be a fun Eastern Conference next season.
