Jalen Brunson was a high-profile guard in college, leading the Villanova Wildcats to two NCAA championships in his three years there. Things changed dramatically when he decided to turn professional.
Brunson was selected 33rd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, a class widely regarded as one of the strongest in recent years. The worst part, at least from his perspective, was landing with the Dallas Mavericks, who also acquired Luka Doncic — arguably the most NBA-ready player in that draft.
Brunson averaged 18.9 points while playing around 32 minutes per game in his final college season. Those numbers declined during his rookie year with Dallas, as he posted 9.3 points and roughly 22 minutes per game. The Mavericks also had guards such as Dennis Smith Jr. and J.J. Barea, making his role uncertain.
He instantly became a back up with Doncic as the team’s main guy in terms of playmaking and scoring. Brunson shared that it was during these times that he felt unsure about his ability.
“The only time is probably my rookie year … playing pickup with the team in Dallas and then obviously watching Luka doing his thing so effortlessly,” he said when asked by a reporter if ever dealt with imposter syndrome in his career..
Brunson was selected 33rd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, a class widely regarded as one of the strongest in recent years. The worst part, at least from his perspective, was landing with the Dallas Mavericks, who also acquired Luka Doncic — arguably the most NBA-ready player in that draft.
Brunson averaged 18.9 points while playing around 32 minutes per game in his final college season. Those numbers declined during his rookie year with Dallas, as he posted 9.3 points and roughly 22 minutes per game. The Mavericks also had guards such as Dennis Smith Jr. and J.J. Barea, making his role uncertain.
He instantly became a back up with Doncic as the team’s main guy in terms of playmaking and scoring. Brunson shared that it was during these times that he felt unsure about his ability.
“The only time is probably my rookie year … playing pickup with the team in Dallas and then obviously watching Luka doing his thing so effortlessly,” he said when asked by a reporter if ever dealt with imposter syndrome in his career..
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