Jeff Teague picks Isaiah Thomas over Jalen Brunson despite the star’s All-NBA rise and playoff run

Jalen Brunson has a chance to leave his stamp on the NBA history and become one of the New York Knicks' greatest players as the upcoming season approaches. Although it's never easy to compete for a championship, his rise to fame has helped the team finish close to the top of the East in recent years.

However, NBA All-Star Jeff Teague, isn't convinced that Jalen Brunson is superior to former Boston Celtics’ star Isaiah Thomas.

Jeff Teague downplays Jalen Brunson’s rise, claims Isaiah Thomas was the better scorer and overall player

Jalen Brunson, the star of the New York Knicks, has been nothing short of extraordinary since he moved to Madison Square Garden in 2022. He helped the team come around and even led them to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years this past season.Thanks to the star player, the New York Knicks are now able to contend for a championship.

He has developed into one of the league's best guards since coming to New York. He further led the team to the third-best record in the East last season.

However, the former NBA All-Star Baron Davis realized that Jalen Brunson alone would not be enough to bring an NBA championship. This happened after the team lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Baron Davis pointed to Indiana's pressure and restricting Jalen Brunson's movement. He further stated on Paul George's Podcast P:"Nobody can stop him… But if you watch what Indiana did, the half-court became another defender.

His space got limited. They need another guard to handle pressure, bring the ball up, and let him operate one-on-one late in games." On the other hand, Jeff Teague isn't convinced that Jalen Brunson is superior to Isaiah Thomas. The former was a 5-foot-9 MVP candidate in Boston in 2017. Although his career was brief, he was among the league's finest, which is why Jeff Teague sided with him in a dispute.During his appearance in Club 520 Podcast on July 15, he said:“I’m taking IT… I am, they do the same s—, and IT do it better really.”

When asked who is a better scorer as well as a better player, Jeff Teague went all out. He continued: “I swear to god I’m not being biased… I watched Jalen Brunson grow up, but [Thomas] averaged 30. He averaged 30.”In 2016-17, Isaiah Thomas had his best season. However, next season, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks will have a chance to put an end to this dispute on the floor. Also read: Jalen Brunson raises eyebrows with unexpected take on New York Knicks’ coaching situation