Jalen Brunson doesn’t care. In fact, he sees it as his specialty.
Throughout the Knicks’ first-round series against the Pistons, there’s been much discourse about Brunson “foul-baiting” or flopping.
Entering Tuesday’s Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, Brunson had drawn 36 fouls in the series — second-most among all players in the playoffs, behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He also had taken 36 total free throws, second-most in the league, also behind Antetokounmpo.
In the regular season, Brunson drew an average of 6.3 fouls per game — once again second-most in the league behind Antetokounmpo.
How important is that ability to use his body and draw contact to Brunson, who is generously listed at 6-foot-2 and not particularly quick?
“It’s part of the game,” Brunson said Tuesday morning at Knicks shootaround before Game 5. “When you have guys who are 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8, freak athletes, long arms, all that, they’re gonna use that to their advantage. My advantage, I feel like it’s my strength, is the way I’m able to use my footwork and play off-balance and just find different angles to attack. I don’t know how else to say it, but I like the way how I’m able to use my body to get off defenders and find ways to adapt.”
That style of play has drawn plenty of criticism from Pistons players, national media and fans.
After Game 1, Ausar Thompson, who has primarily guarded Brunson for the Pistons this series, said Brunson is “good at drawing fouls. Well, he’s good at selling fouls.”
Do those complaints bother Brunson at all?
“No,” he said succinctly.
Opposing coaches have often utilized bigger, lengthier defenders to guard Brunson, like J.B. Bickerstaff has with Thompson.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series.
But Thompson’s offensive game is not yet polished and he has struggled on that side of the ball in the series.
As a result, he’s been benched most of the fourth quarters in the series in favor of Dennis Schröder.
And Brunson in turn has had huge fourth quarters, averaging 13.25 points in the quarter in the four games entering Tuesday.
“I think it’s a different look,” Brunson said. “We trust our coaching staff and their preparation and everything they do for us – I’m sure their team, they trust [theirs]. It’s just two teams going at it and trying to figure out a way to win. It doesn’t matter what the situation is or what the matchups are, whatever.”
