Monica McNutt does not agree with Becky Hammon’s take on Jalen Brunson, but she did cut the three-time WNBA champion coach some slack.
As a guest on The Post’s “Schein Time” with Adam Schein on Thursday, the Knicks broadcaster and analyst was asked about Hammon recently doubling down on her opinion from late in 2023 when she said Brunson wasn’t an “1A dude” to push the franchise to the next level.
“Honestly, Adam, historically, she was not wrong,” McNutt said. “Isaiah Thomas. Steph Curry. The list is very short, right? But I remember her saying, and I was like, ‘Oh, saying that to the wrong fanbase, my girl.’ And I, too, adore Becky Hammon. She’s a Hall of Famer.
“I think in her most recent comment, she is just acknowledging that it’s an occupational hazard. At the time, that’s what she believed, and to your point, there is still one more round to go for her ultimately to be proven wrong. But it’s not solely her opinion.
“She picked the wrong fanbase, and I will add, as a woman in this space, I think it’s easy to pile on women in this space. Not everybody rolls off her credentials the way you did, Adam. … But I get it, I’ve said some crazy things as an analyst too. I think I said the Warriors were cooked a year they went on to win the championship.”
During media availability for the Aces Tuesday, Hammon told reporters she is ready to be “proven wrong.”
“I speak from experience,” she said. “Allen Iverson got MVP, and he lost in the finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I’m up for being proven wrong. That’s the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson’s a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I’m speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don’t know why everybody’s so stuck on that. I said it two years ago.
“I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”
During an appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today” in December 2023, Hammon first made her opinion known on the Villanova product.
“They’re, they’re well-coached, they’re going to be on their defensive game, but at the end of the day, they don’t have a dude,” she said. “You gotta have a dude, you gotta have a 1A dude and they’re missing that at the end of the day if we’re just getting down to brass tacks.”
McNutt also gave her own take on Brunson and called back to a time during the 2023-24 season when she sat down with him and went through film.
“I’ll never forget this as long as I cover him, Adam. We are looking at these moves, and I’m like, ‘What are you seeing?’ He’s like, ‘I’ve never been the fastest. I’ve never been the strongest. I’ve never out athleticisized. But I’ve always had to figure out how to beat my opponent. So, I just play to my strengths.’ And he has been meticulous about finding his strength. … At every stop, he has been one that has been doubted — and for whatever reason — but all he has done is won.
Cavaliers. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“There are some people among us that just have that winning gene and I would describe Jalen Brunson as one of those guys.”
Since Hammon’s comments, the Knicks have had two head coaches (Tom Thibodeau and Mike Brown) and have made it to two Eastern Conference finals, and are on their way to their first Finals in 27 years.
That would not have been possible without the three-time All-Star.
Brunson has averaged 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game throughout the playoffs and was awarded MVP for the conference finals.