Gilbert Arenas made waves recently when he labeled Jalen Brunson a more effective scoring version of Chris Paul. While both players are undersized point guards who share a similar floor general mentality, Lou Williams was surprised to hear "The Hibachi" make such a comparison considering how different the playing styles and mentalities of both "Burner Brunson" and "CP3" are.
Additionally, Chandler Parsons urged how the Indiana Pacers marquee star's game resonates more with Chris than with JB, who is more focused on scoring than playmaking.
Lou on who Brunson is more comparable to
Over the past two seasons, Jalen Brunson has been the undisputed primary ball handler for the New York Knicks. His main task has been taking charge of the scoring load, as evidenced by his elevating his scoring average to 26.3 points per game.
Still, despite his increased ball-handling responsibilities, JB's assists tally stands at 6.4 over those two seasons, a mere 1.6 assists per game increase compared to his last season with the Dallas Mavericks, where he played a secondary role to Luka Doncic.
Recognizing this, Lou Williams likened Brunson's game to Allen Iverson's - someone whose mindset is centered around making a game-winning impact by scoring 40 points rather than logging assists in double digits.
"I ain't buyin' that," the three-time 6MOTY said . "He's tryna get the people going. I understand the game when Gils says these things, but two completely different games. Chris Paul is gonna come out there; he's gonna set the table for us players. Jalen Brunson is the table. He's gonna be the guy that gonna be aggressive on the scoring end. He's closer to an Allen Iverson comparison than a Chris Paul comparison."
Related: Karl-Anthony Towns on how the Timberwolves informed him that he was being traded: "It was gangster, I ain't gonna lie"
Parsons says Hali is more like CP3 than Brunson
Chandler echoed this sentiment, saying that Tyrese Haliburton is more comparable to the "Point God" than the Knicks' point guard. Hali has embraced his role as the primary ball handler for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 10.6 assists per game and even leading the league in assists. This facilitator and floor general role is more in line with the CP3 comparison.
"Two different games. Like Chris Paul is like a (Tyrese) Haliburton type where he's gonna set you up. He's gonna play pick-and-roll. Throw the lobs. Space out the shooters. So, it's weird to even compare these two," Parsons said. "They're both point guards but they have completely different games."
It's difficult to argue against the assessments made by the 'Run It Back' show hosts, especially considering how, despite adding All-NBA caliber players to the team roster, the Knicks expect Jalen to be their offensive anchor.
Related: Chandler Parsons reveals the main issue for the Knicks: "Losing DiVincenzo and Hartenstein hurt them more than losing Julius Randle"
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