With the New York Knicks on the verge of a first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, Jalen Brunson is receiving a lot of plaudits, and rightfully so. Now, a former NBA champion has claimed that he would take Brunson over Luka Dončić if he were to build a roster to win a championship.
Former NBA Champion Claims He Would Take Jalen Brunson Over Luka Dončić
Brunson is enjoying another spectacular year with the New York Knicks and secured a spot on the All-NBA Second Team for the third straight year. The 29-year-old’s leadership and ability to score clutch points have been key to the Knicks’ success.
Former NBA champion Antonio Daniels has clearly been left impressed by Brunson, so much so that he would take the Knicks guard over Dončić if he were to build a roster capable of building a championship.
On the “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, Daniels claimed that Brunson’s ability to play without the ball makes him a more valuable asset on a team than Dončić.
“I would say Brunson and the reason I’d say that is because I’ve seen Brunson play with and without the ball. I haven’t seen Luka, as talented as Luka is, and Luka is crazy talented. He can score from anywhere on the floor, excellent passer. But I haven’t seen him play when his usage is low,” he said.
Daniels, who was part of the San Antonio Spurs team that defeated the Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals, also wondered how Dončić would play if paired with a younger LeBron James.
“The good thing about Jalen Brunson that we’re seeing now is that he’s off the ball a lot. I don’t blame Luka for that though. I wonder what it would look like if Luka was playing with LeBron when LeBron was younger,” he added.
Max Kellerman and Antonio Daniels agree that they would rather have Jalen Brunson over Luka Doncic to win a championship 🤔
Daniels: “The reason I’d say that is because I’ve seen Brunson play with and without the ball.”
Max: “I agree!”
(via Game Over) pic.twitter.com/iDabEryOzX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 25, 2026
Dončić was the leading scorer in the NBA this season, averaging 33.5 points per game. He was forced to miss the postseason due to a hamstring injury as the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Meanwhile, Brunson averaged 26.0 points and 6.8 assists per game during the regular season. He has stepped up a gear in the playoffs, averaging 27.8 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Brunson has evolved into a more off-the-ball role in recent games, with the lion’s share of the Knicks’ offense running through Karl-Anthony Towns. This has meant that opposition defenses cannot focus exclusively on Brunson, allowing him to generate easier looks and create more opportunities for his teammates.
