Jalen Brunson's defensive limitations have been brought into focus after a Game 2 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, but the obvious problem for the New York Knicks also highlights the greatness of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
Brunson has been repeatedly targeted by the Hawks, and primarily by veteran guard CJ McCollum, through the first two games, something that will prove an ongoing concern for the Knicks who were tipped by some to go all the way to the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson problem proves Stephen Curry's greatness
McCollum had 32 points to lead the Hawks to a stunning 107-106 comeback victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, subsequently tying the series despite Brunson's 29 points and seven assists.
One X (formerly Twitter) user has even gone as far as to highlight all the times Brunson has been cooked by McCollum though two games, providing undeniable evidence of an issue former Warrior assistant Mike Brown will have to address moving forward.
The claim that McCollum has an 82.3% true shooting percentage while being guarded by Brunson is backed by the tracking which says the Hawks guard has recorded 22 points and four assists on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.
By my count, CJ McCollum has 22 points on 82.3% TS (9/12 FG) when being guarded by Jalen Brunson in this series.
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) April 21, 2026
I think New York's gonna have to be more aggressive to keep Brunson out of this matchup. It's a big problem. pic.twitter.com/4PX1GnZe9C
As a similarly-sized small guard, Curry has also had plenty of moments where he's been targeted defensively throughout his long playoff career. The 2x MVP's small stature means he's never been a great defender, but his willingness to improve and ensure it wasn't a consistent liability for the Warriors has been one of the most underrated elements of his legendary career.
Stephen Curry's greatness exemplified in Jalen Brunson comparison
In December 2023, former San Antonio Spurs assistant and current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon claimed the Knicks couldn't win a championship with Brunson as their best player because he was too small.
The comments sparked so much controversy that Hammon was forced to clarify the comments, acknowledging Brunson's excellence but standing by her statement that she couldn't put him alongside the likes of LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Curry.
For the record… pic.twitter.com/8JTSeEswg4
— Becky Hammon (@BeckyHammon) December 22, 2023
Yet per Basketball Reference, Curry and Brunson are actually the same height and the latter is actually five pounds heavier. Therefore, this shouldn't be a size issue, except it is and just illustrates how Curry has defied NBA history.
Curry has been part of four championship teams, including being the best player on at least two. Even when Kevin Durant won back-to-back Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018, there was no doubting Curry remained the face of the Warriors.
The issue with Brunson being too small to lead the Knicks to a championship shouldn't be a knock on him, but rather a way to further elevate Curry and what's he done with the Warriors across a remarkable career.
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