Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic paid Jalen Brunson a huge compliment after losing to the New York Knicks.
The Knicks won 116-94 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart combining for 42 points.
Brunson actually had a difficult game, despite scoring 18 points, as he missed 13 of his 19 field goal attempts.
Still, Rajakovic had nothing but praise for the point guard and even compared him to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.
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Darko Rajakovic raves about Jalen Brunson’s game
Rajakovic believes Brunson is one of the best offensive players in the NBA alongside Doncic and Nikola Jokic.
The trio are less athletic than most NBA stars, but they make up for it with their skill and ability to play “at their own pace.”
“In that same conversation, I can put Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic… Guys playing at their own pace. You cannot speed them up,” Rajakovic explained in his post-game press conference.
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“Their awareness is amazing. At every point in time, they know where the hand of the defensive player is, what the footwork is, how they can go by somebody, how they can get to their spots, and how they can score and playmake from there.
“He’s elite at doing that. He’s not the fastest, not the strongest, but his skill level and shooting ability are amazing. And that makes him one of the biggest offensive weapons in the league.”
Brunson’s lack of size makes it difficult for him to compete with Doncic and Jokic one-on-one, but he still has a similar impact on his team.
Jalen Brunson should be in MVP award discussions
Jalen Brunson’s shot may not have fallen against the Raptors, but it’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the best scorers in the league.
Brunson is averaging 28.5 points per game this season on almost 48% efficiency from the field and 37% from three-point range.
The 29-year-old is also unselfish, contributing six assists per night to the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.
That is why Knicks head coach Mike Brown is convinced he deserves to be involved in discussions over the Most Valuable Player award.
“He should be talked about right now, and it’s early, but as a potential MVP. There’s not enough chatter,” Brown said last week.