Behind a lighthearted jab lies a tactical nightmare. Philadelphia must solve Jalen Brunson’s unstoppable three-level scoring before his high-level shotmaking ends their season.
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s joke about Jalen Brunson’s “big head” was funny on the surface, but the point underneath was more serious.
Brunson is a “very smart tactical player,” and the Philadelphia 76ers spent Game 1 learning how hard that is to stop. Oubre’s full comment came in response to Brunson’s strong playoff start, and it came after the New York Knicks guard put up 35 points on 12-for-18 shooting, including 27 in the first half of a 137-98 blowout win.
What makes Brunson so difficult is that he can get to his spots at all three levels without needing much help.
In one six-possession stretch, the Knicks ran almost the same action repeatedly, and Brunson answered with a lob to Mitchell Robinson, a short paint jumper, a layup after beating Oubre off the dribble, a step-back jumper over Paul George, and then a pull-up three when Embiid blitzed the action. Brunson doesn't need a complicated offensive system to maximize his ability; his skill and talent as a scorer make the simplest plays almost unstoppable.
Philadelphia tried different looks on him, too. The Sixers opened with simple matchups, then switched through VJ Edgecombe, Oubre, Paul George, Quentin Grimes, and even some zone, but none of it held for long. Brunson scored the final 11 points of a second-quarter Knicks run that put the game away early. The all-star guard produced a true shooting percentage of 81.3%, the highest in this year's playoffs.
That is why Oubre’s quote is complimentary despite the original joke. Brunson is not just hard to guard because he is strong or crafty; he is hard to guard because he understands exactly when to attack the rim, when to stop for the midrange shot, and when to step back behind the arc. For Philadelphia, slowing him down will be their key to victory.
Nick Nurse is well known for his defensive schemes and has proven capable of slowing down superstars in the past, but Brunson presents a massive challenge for the 76ers, who threw every look they had at him, and none of it worked.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.