The Milwaukee Bucks recently faced off against the New York Knicks. The Bucks have recently been going through a rough patch, having lost 6 of their previous 10 matchups. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard leading the offensive charge, expectations lay on them to break the team out of his streak. However, Knicks Point Guard Jalen Brunson wasn’t going to allow it. Using his 39 minutes on the court, he went ahead to drop an impressive 43 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in an effort to secure the win for his team.

During the post-game press conference, Damian Lillard addressed his on-court rival’s recent performance. When asked about all the “trouble” that Brunson has been giving to the Bucks, Lillard highlighted his respect for the Knicks star by stating “He’s one of the best players in the league” and just being in awe of what he could do with his on-court abilities.

“He’s getting those screen set, he’s coming downhill, he plays in the mid-range with floaters and pull-up jumpers and stuff like that,” said Lillard. “The way he plays, you know, coming into these games and knowing the kind of coverages that he is going to see, I think that’s kind of the reason why”. Damian Lillard’s comments come only a few months after comparisons started to float between him and his Knicks rival.

Since January, as Brunson started to establish a memorable streak alongside his comrades, various NBA fans praised him by deeming him better than Lillard, Maxey, and Trae. In fact, 76ers legend Charles Barkley himself came out in praise of the 27-year-old by stating “I’m never gonna throw shade at Dame Lillard. I love him as a person and as a player. But I would have loved to see Jalen Brunson be a starter.”

Barkley claimed that Brunson “made the New York Knicks relevant for the first time since Patrick Ewing. Plain and simple”. To be placed on the same pedestal as a star who was a member of the NBA 75 team goes a long way in highlighting Jalen Brunson’s on-court prowess. However, whether he can handle the ball better than Damian Lillard is an issue that various people can have varying opinions on.

Jalen Brunson vs Damian Lillard: A comparison of stats

During the 73 regular season games that Jalen Brunson has played this season, he has managed to secure an average of 28.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. The Bucks veteran has also been a consistent presence with his 70 games, but he only managed to average 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7 assists. Brunson managed to record 61 points back in March as his highest score record in a single game this season, while Lillard only managed to reach as high as 41 during the Bucks’ recent matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

While being a better scorer than Lillard, Brunson is almost on par with the 33-year-old when it comes to shooting capabilities. During the ongoing season, his field goal percentage was maintained at 47.7% and his success with his three-pointers averaged 39.4%, while Lillard’s stat stood at 42.5% and 35.5% respectively.

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However, the latter player is better when it comes to field throws and true shooting, as his average percentage for the same stands at 92.1% and 59.2% respectively. This is slightly higher than Brunson’s 84.2% FT and 58.8 TS%.

Who do you find to be the better player: Jalen Brunson or Damian Lillard? Let us know in the comments below.

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