NEW YORK — As Jalen Brunson has risen to NBA stardom, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is often asked if he saw it coming. Carlisle coached Brunson for three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, overseeing his rise from useful second-round pick in his first season to top sixth man in his third. Over the last three seasons with the New York Knicks, Brunson has emerged as a perennial MVP candidate.
“I’m not surprised,” Carlisle said. “Knowing his level of determination, how much of a winner he is and how he really has always embraced the doubters. He loves proving people wrong.”
