Before Jalen Brunson was an All-NBA player and Finals MVP , he was a second round pick that no one gave a chance at being a star. However, when you really dig deep, that franchise player was always there. He was a highly productive college player, who won two national championships in his three years at Villanova.
And given that the NBA is a copycat league, everyone is now looking for the next Brunson -- an under-appreciated, undersized guard who can help change the trajectory of their organization.
As with all the greats, Brunson is idiosyncratic. Searching for the next version of him is (probably) futile. But if there is another late-bloomer waiting for their chance, these three guys are probably the most likely candidates.
We couldn't do an exercise like this without including Payton Pritchard. And of all these guys, he's the one who will answer this question the fastest.
After trading away Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics wagered that Pritchard would be able to fill the void as Robin to Jayson Tatum's Batman. The similarties between Brunson and Pritchard are uncanny. Both undersized guards, who have been overlooked for their lack of size and athleticism. Both are fearless and immensely skilled. Both masters of playing off of two feet.
Last season, Pritchard averaged 13.2 more points per 100 possessions on true shooting that was four percent higher when Brown was off the floor. These numbers are clear indicators that he is more than just a bench spark plug and can scale his volume up while maintaining (or, in Pritchard's case, improving) his efficiency. Now, Pritchard will get the chance to live life without Brown full-time. Let's see if he can take the leap the Celtics are praying for.
Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After being selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Jase Richardson did a whole lot of nothing his rookie year. In 54 games (zero starts), Richardson tallied 4.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 57.4 percent true shooting in 10.9 minutes per contest.
None of this screams future star, but his college pedigree (ring a bell) is something we can't overlook. To date, only seven freshman guards posted a Box Plus-Minus over 10 while playing at least 15 games (per Bart Torvik). Richardson is one of them (duh). Meanwhile, the other six are James Harden, Trae Young, D'Angelo Russell, Marcus Smart, Lonzo Ball and Reed Sheppard.
All of those guys have proven to be quality NBA guards. Harden, Young, and Russell have all earned All-Star nominations. Harden is also a former MVP. Ball is one of the self-proclaimed greatest what-ifs in NBA history.
As for the Brunson parallels, Richardson is also a crafty southpaw, who relies more on pace and precision than speed and verticality. It probably won't happen, but if Richardson turns out to be a star, it changes everything for the Orlando Magic .
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Remember that episode of "True Detective" where Martin Hart (played by Woody Harrelson) talks about the detective's curse? "The solution was right under my nose, but I was paying attention to the wrong clues?"
Well, what if the next Brunson is already on his team? Tyler Kolek checks a lot of the same boxes that Brunson did -- lefty, undersized, great with the ball in his hands, methodical -- but because of his star teammate, he hasn't really had the chance to spread his wings (averaging just 9.9 minutes per game over the first two years of his career).
In the biggest game of his professional life, Kolek dropped 14 points and five assists in 20 minutes of action, boasting a plus-14 in the New York Knicks' 11-point NBA Cup Final victory over the San Antonio Spurs. After that, he mysteriously fell out of the rotation. But what happens when Kolek finally gets a real chance to spread his wings?
This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as 3 under-appreciated, undersized guards who could become the next Jalen Brunson .
