Somehow, this is someone who has a league MVP vote.
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have been impressive in navigating a slew of injuries as of late, holding strong in the upper portion of the Eastern Conference playoff picture despite the recent unfortunate news that power forward Julius Randle would miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury sustained during a late January game vs the Miami Heat. Still, Brunson has played at an All-NBA level throughout the duration of the campaign and the Knicks now have a legitimate chance to move up as high as the number two seed ahead of the NBA playoffs, which are slated to begin in just under two weeks.
One person who loves what he’s seeing from New York is none other than occasional Knicks fan and ESPN Sports media personality Stephen A. Smith, who recently took to his own The Stephen A. Smith Show to explain what he’s enjoyed in watching the Knicks as of late.
“I’m looking at (Quentin) Grimes, he’s looked good,” said Smith, per @CynicalNYK on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter. “I’m looking at Isaiah Hartenstein, as a reserve, giving you activity off the bench. I’m looking at Mitchell Robinson being here on the court…”
The only problem? Quentin Grimes hasn’t been a member of the Knicks in around two months, as he was dealt to the Detroit Pistons in a trade deadline deal that saw Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks sent to the Big Apple. Furthermore, contrary to Smith’s assertion, Hartenstein is still the main starter at center for the Knicks despite Robinson’s recent return from injury.
Smith’s comments could probably be dismissed as evidence of someone who isn’t an avid watcher of the sport pretending to be and getting caught (which they certainly are) until you remember that Smith also has a vote for the league MVP, meaning that someone who doesn’t pay attention the NBA regularly will be helping make a decision that affects players’ salaries, career legacies, and has many other significant implications.
As sports media personalities like Smith continue to expose themselves, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Adam Silver stepped in and fixed the system to make sure the MVP and other awards are voted upon by people who watch and understand the game.
An important Knicks postseason
In any case, the Knicks will be looking to expand upon last year’s trip to the NBA playoffs, where they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in an easy five games in the first round before bowing out to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in the semifinals.
Brunson played particularly well in that Heat series but didn’t have a whole lot of help from his New York teammates, a gap that the Knicks have made strides to fix with several moves this year, including the aforementioned trade of which “Knicks fan” Stephen A. Smith had no knowledge.
Of course, it will be a lot tougher with Randle out of the lineup, because, although he has flamed out in historic fashion in each of his two playoff appearances, he is still another talented player who can at the very least act as a decoy to give Brunson more space.
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