A few days ago, Knicks star Jalen Brunson mentioned on the show that he was originally willing to stay in Dallas, after all, it allowed him to play his worth. It was just the team’s skeptical attitude that finally led him to be attracted to New York and play at a star level. But this is not the first time that Mark Cuban has passed by the white point guard with No. 13…
In 2022, after completing his rookie contract, Jalen Brunson decided to sign a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. As soon as this news came out, many Mavericks fans were disappointed. After all, Brunson broke out in the playoffs the previous year, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, helping the Mavericks reach the Western Conference Championship Game.
Just when everyone was full of surprises and wanted to say that the second ball-holding spot that young master Luka Doncic had been waiting for for many years was actually by his side, news came out that Brunson Pipa should not hug the Big Apple.
“We had no chance to propose a contract to him.”
“We want him to stay.”
“But when Jalen’s father, Rick, got involved, things started to take a turn for the worse.”
Having teammates with Brunson for four years, a system that allowed Brunson to show his worth, and even the advantage of being able to offer a more generous contract, all gave the Mavericks a head start in renewing the contract, but in the end, these conditions were unable to keep Brunson. . When talking about the signing, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban revealed that it was because Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, who worked for the Knicks, interfered with it that Jalen finally chose to leave. He even said that it was suspected of illegal recruitment.
But what really makes fans heart-throb is that after arriving in New York, Brunson exploded after getting the ball. His averages in the regular season soared from 16.3 points and 4.8 assists to 24 points and 6.2 assists. Not only did he become the Most Improved Award of the Year One of the candidates, and even received some votes for the MVP.
The scary thing is that Brunson did not retreat but improved in the more intense playoffs, scoring 27.8 points. He is the team’s most important star and the key to the Knicks reaching the second round.
If the story ends here, and this is the story of a player who has earned his worth but has decided to leave, and shines after leaving the place where he made his fortune, then the sense of déjà vu to me will not be that strong.
“I really want to stay in Dallas, I want a stable environment.”
“I want to extend my contract with the team before the fourth season, which is when the rookie contract ends.”
“The best offer my agent got was $55 million over four years.”
“I’m considering signing because I want to stay here.”
However, Jalen Brunson mentioned in a recent show that he originally intended to stay in Dallas. In the third year of his rookie contract, Brunson has become an important substitute player for the team and averaged 12.6 points in the regular season. This also allowed him to express his willingness to stay with the team before the start of the fourth season.
However, perhaps because of his poor performance in the playoffs last season, with his scoring average dropping to only 8 points per game, and such an unstable performance, the team did not agree to sign an extended contract with him at the first time. leading to his eventual departure.
The white point guard with the number 13 on his back made his mark in Dallas. He originally intended to renew his contract with the team, but was ultimately blocked by the new team. In the new team, his explosive performance not only improved the new team’s record, but also earned him MVP votes…
The combination of various keywords really makes me feel that sometimes history is surprisingly similar.
20 years ago, No. 13 played brilliantly in Dallas
In the 2003-04 season, the Mavericks (called the Mavericks at the time), who had only won 60 games in the previous season and made it to the Western Conference Championship Game, in order to catch up with the arms race among the Western Conference teams, also strengthened themselves in the free market and recruited the then Warriors star Antawn Jamison and Boston star forward Antoine Walker, combined with Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley, who were already in the lineup, would have been the purple and gold F4 composed of Hall of Fame players who had not been recruited by the Lakers. Focus, otherwise the Mavericks lineup will definitely stir up a lot of talk.
The reason why the Mavericks are so prosperous is that they had a unique vision at the beginning. In the draft, they selected Nowitzki, who later became the team’s totem, and in the trade market, they found Nash, a guard who was not very prominent in the Suns. These two young men supported Dallas’ front and backcourt, and not only became star players, but also became the basis for victory.
However, the 2003-04 season was a season of big thunder but little rain for the Mavericks. The five-star team actually posted a worse record of 52 wins and 30 losses than the previous season. Although they still made the playoffs, After being eliminated by the Kings in five games in the first round, last season’s conference runner-up ended this season.
The embarrassing thing is that Nash’s contract is about to expire, but due to the team’s too many stars diluting the ball rights, Nash’s scoring average dropped from 17.4 points to 14.5 points per game this season, interrupting his two consecutive seasons of being selected for the All-Star Game. The record was strictly monitored by the Kings in the playoffs. Both scoring and three-point shooting percentage reached new lows in Dallas, 13.6 points and 37.5% respectively.
2024-03-03 15:39:03
#Mark #Cuban #missed #years #NBA #Basketball #Sports #Vision
