Dave Takes

Knicks' role players were just as vital to the team's success as Jalen Brunson.

Name a role player on your favorite team you feel is underappreciated and why.

Knicks' role players were just as vital to the team's success as Jalen Brunson.

@Fullcourtpass Jokes aside I actually think LeBron would be very happy in GS playing with Steph and Draymond.

@Fullcourtpass The Pitch: "Yo Bron. Come to GS and I won't kick you."

Draymond Green reveals he had a “crazy” recruitment pitch to LeBron James while they were hanging out "I'd be remissed if I don't take the opportunity to throw my pitch in there, I'd be crazy if we're together for x amount of days and at no point am I like 'yo, we need to chop it up, what the hell going on? what we doing?' of course I did that and of course the pitch was crazy... with the things I shared in it, it's definitely gonna make the brain work a little bit... but we wasn't going to hang out for a recruitment pitch." (Via @DraymondShow)

@UofBasketball @KalshiSports @KalshiHoops I loved the Kris Dunn revival. Big fan of his going back to Providence.

Leaders in “Bad Pass” steals… Disrupting those passing lanes!

@NBA @ACChampionship Steph is one of the most polite stars in NBA history.

Some of the scene at the @ACChampionship ⛳️ Coverage concludes today 2:30pm/et on NBC & Peacock

@calebpressley @WhiteClaw Two absolute psychopaths sit down for a conversation.

🍨SUNDAE CONVERSATION🍨 with Coach Dan Hurley Presented by @WhiteClaw

@celtics @chriscenacjr @UHCougarMBK The point about mindset and attitude is great. Sampson's program at Houston instills grit, competitiveness, and passion. I see those in Cencac already.

Wait, how fast did @chriscenacjr run a mile!? 🏃‍♂️💨 @UHCougarMBK coach Kelvin Sampson told us all about Chris: bit.ly/4wA6R5X

@JoshEberley LeBron. Jude Bellingham is the best midfielder on Earth.

Who is Jude Bellingham’s NBA comp?

@vuirotto @trippmccoy9 @Fullcourtpass @TheSteinLine You don't watch enough basketball. Don't just send me his stats and tell me he sucks. Real basketball fans understand Adebayo's impact on the game. Please.

@davetakes @trippmccoy9 @Fullcourtpass @TheSteinLine 3.2 assists and 44.2% from the field as a center lol embarrassing. He ain't a top player on this league 💀

The Miami Heat view Bam Adebayo as “Heat royalty” and as their modern-day Udonis Haslem, per @TheSteinLine

@mdorans_ Change is needed yes but the point is Vic took less bc he is prioritizing winning in San Antonio. If more players truly prioritized winning, we would see this a bit more often.

This is such a stupid argument. “A player shouldn’t have to pass up on $300M to only make $250M so his team has a chance to win a championship” Is the sport about players making as much money as possible, or winning?

@TheHoopHerald I don't think people realize just how good Cooper Flagg is going to be. He is 19 years old and already a Top 15 players in the League.

Assuming Kyrie is 100 percent healthy, I’m not sure the NBA is ready for this duo

@NBA_NewYork Brunson prioritized winning in New York! A true Championship mentality. Wembanyama taking less in SA now.

Woj 2 years ago today: "In a largely unprecedented financial concession to give roster flexibility to a contending franchise, Jalen Brunson has agreed to a 4-year, $156.5 million contract extension--$113 million less guaranteed than he's eligible to sign for a year from now…The repercussions of Brunson choosing 4 year / $156.5 million max deal over the 5 year / $269.1 million deal in 2025 are massive for the Knicks' ability to keep this team together & continue making roster moves to close the gap on a championship. Brunson's deal keeps the Knicks out of the 2d apron…Brunson's study of championship organizations and franchise stars -- Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs, the Tom Brady New England Patriots and the Derek Jeter New York Yankees -- gave him a blueprint for MVP-level players who structured contracts to give their teams the best chances at sustainable title runs…In the modern era, All-NBA player discounts to allow salary cap flexibility have included San Antonio's Tim Duncan taking $11 million less than the maximum in 2007 to keep Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and Golden State's Kevin Durant taking $10 million less to keep Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala in 2017. LeBron James accepted $2.6 million less on a two-year, $101 million deal this offseason to avoid the second apron for the Los Angeles Lakers…This time, Brunson is taking a $37 million loss that comes with $113 million of total risk to chase a title with the Knicks…"

@LegionHoops This is probably the best contract in the League. You cannot put a dollar value on Wembanyama's two-way impact on the game.

Victor Wembanyama sacrificed a potential $50M bonus to help the Spurs build a better team. Unbelievable sacrifice. What a leader.

@Timi_093 I'm excited. Feed this man. He has a chance to really develop a nice game/style of play suited for the modern NBA.

CHRIS CENAC JR. PLAYS BASKETBALL TODAY ☘️

@NBA It's been awesome to see Shai's growth since Kentucky and his time with the Clippers. I hope he can reflect on how far he's come.

Join us in wishing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY!

@NBA This dude was so explosive at Arizona. Doesn't really have a huge skillset but freak athlete.

Join us in wishing Dalen Terry a HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY!

@Rich041709 @NYK_Mentality85 @HARPER04_5 @dy1anharper Was about to say. Jalen Brunson didn't necessarily destroy Dylan Harper in the Finals. He and Castle prob played the best defense on him he saw all year. Brunson was just that good, but he probably respected it.

@NYK_Mentality85 @HARPER04_5 @dy1anharper This interview came after the nba cup btw

Hey @HARPER04_5 your son @dy1anharper is the definition of a sore loser with too much pride and too much ego to even mention Jalen Brunson's name. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. San Antonio Playoffs: 25.9 Points. ❌ 8.9 Assists. ✅ 34.8 Points + Assists (Combined). ❌ FG = .409%. ❌ 3 PT = .286%. ❌ +/- of -35. ❌ Lost to San Antonio in 7 Games. ❌ Jalen Brunson vs. San Antonio NBA Finals: 32.6 Points. ✅ 4.6 Assists. ❌ 37.2 Points + Assists (Combined). ✅ FG = .421%. ✅ 3 PT = .389%. ✅ +/- of +8. ✅ Eliminated San Antonio in 5 Games (4-1). ✅ Yo @jalenbrunson1 you destroyed this kid Rookie so bad to the point where he can't even mention your name as the toughest most difficult player to defend😆🤷🏼🏆🍾🤷🏼🤣. You snatched that Rookie's basketball soul bruh and hurt his ego and self pride.

@WNBA @LVAces @NBA Just two of the best basketball players in the world. Both incredible defensively.

The saga of A'ja and Bam stealing each other's stuff continues 👀😂

@alwaysknicks11 This isn't even debatable. Good work.

Jalen Brunson's one ring in New York is worth more than both of Kevin Durant's. Let me explain. Durant had Westbrook and Harden entering their primes, Serge Ibaka next to him, and a Finals trip by age 23. He never saw it through. He joined a 73 win Warriors team instead. Arguably the best team already ever assembled. He didn't build anything. He didn't carry anything. He decided to be a bus rider instead of a bus driver. Then he tried to be the guy in New York. Even picked his co-stars with Kyrie Irving and James Harden. He chose the alternate team in NYC to the Knicks and couldn't make it happen. Brunson did the opposite. Second-round pick. Too small. Too slow. The media torched the Knicks for building around him. Nobody thought he was a 1A. He walked into New York anyway. Took the criticism head-on. Never made an excuse. Never pointed at the roster. Just got to work. Took a team that hadn't won a title in 53 years to the Finals. Went up against Wemby, over a foot taller, reigning DPOY, arguably the best player in the league. Dropped 45 in a closeout game on the road with a shooting hand that needed surgery. Kevin Durant has two rings. Both came with training wheels. Jalen Brunson has one. It took everything.