{"id":681880,"date":"2026-06-03T13:17:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T13:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/681880\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T13:17:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T13:17:11","slug":"hes-always-playing-at-his-own-pace-chris-paul-explains-why-jalen-brunsons-mastery-of-tempo-makes-him-so-difficult-to-guard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/681880\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHe&#8217;s always playing at his own pace\u201d \u2013 Chris Paul explains why Jalen Brunson\u2019s mastery of tempo makes him so difficult to guard"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When basketball fans talk about the NBA&#8217;s greatest guards, they almost always attribute speed and quickness as critical factors to the success of all-time greats like Allen Iverson and Isiah Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>While speed is truly a game-changer in the NBA, since defenses can&#8217;t hope to keep a player from scoring if they can&#8217;t catch him, former NBA All-Star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketballnetwork.net\/tag\/chris-paul\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Chris Paul;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Chris Paul&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Chris Paul<\/a> argues that there are other ways to dominate the game at the point guard position. <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/nba\/teams\/new-york\/\" data-i13n=\"sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link\" data-ylk=\"slk:New York Knicks;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;New York Knicks&quot;,&quot;ySubModuleName&quot;:&quot;anchor_text&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New York Knicks<\/a> superstar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketballnetwork.net\/tag\/jalen-brunson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jalen Brunson;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Jalen Brunson&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Jalen Brunson<\/a> has given everyone the blueprint.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Yes, guards should be lightning-quick to reach specific spots on the floor. However, Brunson has chosen a different strategy, relying on his mastery of pace and incredible strength to reach his sweet spots and deal massive damage to the defense.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody will get Brunson to hurry up<\/p>\n<p>Four seasons into his Knicks career, Brunson has already risen up the ladder of the franchise&#8217;s all-time greats. After leading the blue and orange to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, giving the Big Apple a legitimate shot at breaking a 53-year title drought, Brunson&#8217;s name is now being mentioned alongside Knicks legends such as Earl Monroe, Clyde Frazier, Bernard King and Patrick Ewing.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>While Brunson&#8217;s scoring chops and crunch-time heroics are reasons he has become such a beloved figure in New York&#8217;s sports scene, CP disclosed that what makes the former so difficult to check is his composure and absolute control of the game.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re not going to speed him up, right? When you talk about the elite guards that have played this game for a long time, it&#8217;s about the pace of the game,&#8221; the Point God <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KJJLRPQyfuM&amp;t=284s\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:shared;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;shared&quot;}\" class=\"link \">shared<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve told a lot of young guards for years that when you&#8217;re just really, really fast, you can guard that because then you can just back up, right?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;With Jalen, he&#8217;s always playing at his own pace. He&#8217;s going fast to slow, slow to fast, consistently. He&#8217;s strong. He can shoot it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/beware-sharks-piranhas-sean-elliott-072800271.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Related: &quot;Beware of the sharks and piranhas&quot; - Sean Elliott reflects on the financial pitfalls that accompany NBA success;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Related&quot;}\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Related: &#8220;Beware of the sharks and piranhas&#8221; &#8211; Sean Elliott reflects on the financial pitfalls that accompany NBA success<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Elite hoops IQ<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of Brunson&#8217;s game that CP has come to admire is his elite basketball IQ\u2014something he has developed from his early days as a backup to <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/nba\/players\/6014\/\" data-i13n=\"sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link\" data-ylk=\"slk:Luka Doncic;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Luka Doncic&quot;,&quot;ySubModuleName&quot;:&quot;anchor_text&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luka Doncic<\/a> with the <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/nba\/teams\/dallas\/\" data-i13n=\"sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link\" data-ylk=\"slk:Dallas Mavericks;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Dallas Mavericks&quot;,&quot;ySubModuleName&quot;:&quot;anchor_text&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas Mavericks<\/a> to his current role as the Knicks&#8217; offensive centerpiece.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s smart. Jalen is great at basketball, but he&#8217;s smart too, which is still what&#8217;s needed in a point guard,&#8221; Chris remarked.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>One notable improvement in Brunson&#8217;s game is how he has adapted it to complement All-Star big man <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/nba\/players\/5432\/\" data-i13n=\"sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link\" data-ylk=\"slk:Karl-Anthony Towns;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Karl-Anthony Towns&quot;,&quot;ySubModuleName&quot;:&quot;anchor_text&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a>. Before, the 6&#8217;2&#8243; left-handed guard tended to dribble the air out of the rock, often making his move late in the shot-clock and leaving his teammates to just stand around and watch him work.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\u00a9 Kirby Lee-Imagn Images\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b9807072d688d9edb42cd01120832940.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>These days, he hasn&#8217;t hesitated to dump the ball off to KAT in the post and trust him to read the defense and make the right decision. This has resulted in a more democratic approach, as evidenced by all five starters averaging in double figures in points during the Eastern Conference Finals.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>With the Knicks only four wins away from hoisting the Larry O&#8217;Brien trophy, the Knicks and the NYC will look to Brunson to take them to the promised land. The path won&#8217;t be easy, especially with the <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/nba\/teams\/san-antonio\/\" data-i13n=\"sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link\" data-ylk=\"slk:San Antonio Spurs;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;San Antonio Spurs&quot;,&quot;ySubModuleName&quot;:&quot;anchor_text&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">San Antonio Spurs<\/a>&#8216; tenacious defenders, but Brunson has shown, time and again, that there&#8217;s no challenge too large for him to overcome.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/another-argument-jalen-brunson-greatest-113900114.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Related: Another argument for Jalen Brunson as the greatest Knick just popped up;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Related&quot;}\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Related: Another argument for Jalen Brunson as the greatest Knick just popped up<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This story was originally published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketballnetwork.net\/off-the-court\/chris-paul-explains-why-jalen-brunsons-mastery-of-tempo-makes-him-so-difficult-to-guard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Basketball Network;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Basketball Network&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Basketball Network<\/a> on Jun 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketballnetwork.net\/off-the-court\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Off The Court;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Off The Court&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Off The Court<\/a> section. Add Basketball Network as a <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=basketballnetwork.net\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Preferred Source by clicking here.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Preferred Source by clicking here.&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When basketball fans talk about the NBA&#8217;s greatest guards, they almost always attribute speed and quickness as critical&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":681881,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[30736,296862,6420,760,47542,36783,36782,3014,355,361,2116,99],"class_list":["post-681880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-allen-iverson","tag-bernard-king","tag-chris-paul","tag-dallas-mavericks","tag-isiah-thomas","tag-jalen-brunson","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-luka-doncic","tag-nba","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=681880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/681881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=681880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=681880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=681880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}