Max Kellerman believes Jalen Brunson could have led the Thunder past the Spurs originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Jalen Brunson has rightfully earned the reputation of being a winning player. He was the primary driving force behind the New York Knicks‘ first championship since 1973. Now, he is being hailed as one of the most impactful players in the NBA.
With that kind of success, he will be put up in all kinds of conversations. Now, some people think that if he were on the Oklahoma City Thunder, they could have won the series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Max Kellerman thinks Jalen Brunson could have led the Thunder past the Spurs
It is challenging to stand out in the NBA, especially with how the game is catered to the bigger players. One of the rare outliers is Brunson because he has the special skill set that has made him carry the Knicks past the Spurs to a title.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best players in the league, as evidenced by his back-to-back MVP awards and the Finals MVP from 2025. However, it seems people are now doubting him as a leader for the Thunder.
MORE: Jalen Brunson gets clutch comparison to Kobe Bryant from Tracy McGrady
SGA did not have the best series against the Spurs, but he did step up in Game 7. Unfortunately, they could not win the series, and the Spurs made it to the NBA Finals.
Prominent media member Max Kellerman thinks that if Brunson and Gilgeous-Alexander swapped places, the Thunder would have been in the NBA Finals. It is a bold claim, but it seems he thinks Brunson is the better fit in high-pressure situations.
“I know Shai did not have his second-best player; he was the Finals MVP the year before. If you take SGA off the Thunder and replace him with Jalen Brunson, the Thunder beat the Spurs,” Kellerman said on his Game Over podcast with Rich Paul.
It is a bold take because SGA himself has led his team to a championship. This Kellerman statement has recency bias written all over it because it is hard to see what SGA is doing in OKC, and saying that other players can replicate it or do even better than him.
More NBA news:
- The Knicks receive a new honor before their championship parade
- Mike Brown is now paying the emotional price of leading the Knicks to their first title in 53 years
- How letting go of Mitchell Robinson is a natural decision for a championship-winning team
- Isiah Thomas hails Jalen Brunson as one of the best examples of small guard excellence
- Karl-Anthony Towns sees Victor Wembanyama as the future of the league
