Former coach of Villanova, which he led to the NCAA title in 2016 and 2018, Jay Wright reunites many of his former players with the Knicks, with the former Wildcats forming the core of Tom Thibodeau's team.
He assures that he is proud of Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, players with a special mentality because they are above all determined to help their team win. But above all he is very proud, and a little surprised, by Jalen Brunson.
“I didn’t think he would become this strong” admitted Jay Wright during a CBS Sports podcast. “I thought he would become the point guard of an NBA champion, because he is such a winner. »
But Gregg Popovich's former assistant at Team USA saw Jalen Brunson establishing himself as a conductor, alongside a “franchise player”. But not necessarily becoming a “franchise player” himself.
“It’s not selfishness. He wants to be the leader, he wants to carry the team. He wants that responsibility and that’s the sign of a unique individual.”
“I thought he would fit well with Luka Doncic, and I thought this situation was perfect for him. I thought it would fit well with a Luka Doncic and that he would take a team to the playoffs. Perhaps a more talented player would be the offensive spearhead, and he would be the leader. And that when the more talented player was injured, and then asked to score, he would score. I thought that would be his NBA career. »
Which is exactly the situation he had in Dallas. But ultimately, Jalen Brunson decided to aim higher.
“But he chose to go to the Knicks, to become the go-to-guy and not just be a complementary player.” continues Jay Wright. “He had a good situation in Dallas, he loved Dallas and he loved Luka. But he wanted to be the boss. This is what makes it unique. It's not selfishness. He wants to be the leader, he wants to carry the team. He wants that responsibility and that’s the sign of a unique individual. »
