Matt Barnes isn’t ready to put Knicks’ Jalen Brunson in small guard GOAT conversation

Although Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to the promised land, ending a 53-year championship drought for the franchise, podcast host and former NBA forward Matt Barnes isn’t ready to put this year’s Finals MVP into the small-GOAT conversation. While Brunson continues his Knicks championship celebration this week, he threw a ceremonial first pitch at a New York Yankees game. Singer Alicia Keys is slated to perform at the Knicks’ championship parade on Thursday.

At the time, Brunson’s MVP performance in a 4-1 Finals victory against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs has entered him into the small-guard GOAT conversation that Barnes says Brunson hasn’t earned quite yet, he said, per All The Smoke podcast.

“It’s tough because we’re looking at guys that have a career of work. What’s Brunson in year 6-7? Allen Iverson, I’ve heard this debate: Is he better than A.I.? Is he a better scorer than A.I.? It’s different because A.I.’s era was a 7-footer in the paint every night. He’s not gonna be outside the paint, and you have to score over him. Plus, the two guys who are guarding you.”

Jalen Brunson's Finals run has him in conversations with GOATs

Matt Barnes says pump the brakes… but admits the debate is just getting started pic.twitter.com/GwTBW0oEhw

— ALL THE SMOKE (@allthesmokeprod) June 17, 2026

Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson is often debated as the best small guard in NBA history. Iverson’s one and only Finals appearance came in 2001 amid Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s three-peat with the Los Angeles Lakers. With only eight seasons under his belt, Knicks’ Jalen Brunson still has ways to go before entering GOAT talk, according to podcast host Matt Barnes.

Brunson averaged 32.6 points on 42.1% shooting, including 38.9% from deep, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game throughout the Finals best-of-7 series against the Spurs, capturing his first title with a 45-point performance in Game 5’s series clincher.

The post Matt Barnes isn’t ready to put Knicks’ Jalen Brunson in small guard GOAT conversation appeared first on ClutchPoints.