Paul Pierce Makes 'Concerning' Knicks NBA Cup Final Prediction With Not-So-Subtle Dig at Jalen Brunson

On Tuesday, the New York Knicks will play the San Antonio Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup Finals. Since the league launched the In-Season Tournament in the 2023–24 season, they have a chance to win the third one. It's the first time that the Knicks have reached the final round.

To finish the job, however, the team has to go through the Spurs, a rising Western Conference team. San Antonio has a budding star in the 7-foot-4 French star Victor Wembanyama. But New York has shown that it has what it takes to compete, reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season.

All eyes are on Jalen Brunson, the official leader of the team. But not Paul Pierce. Although the former NBA star believes Brunson will do well, he doesn't think he's the X-factor for the team. Instead, the one-time Finals MVP said that it's OG Anunoby who will play an important role for New York.

Pierce talked about it with three-time champion Danny Green on Monday's "No Fouls Given."

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“I don’t even think it’s about Brunson, though,” Pierce said (Timestamp: 29:30). “I think Annoy is the key to this team. When he plays well — I saw him in the playoffs last year with Boston, in previous years. When he plays well, it’s tough to beat them.”

This season, Anunoby has appeared in 16 games, averaging 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Every time he scores at least 20 points, New York has had a winning record of 4-1. Although it's a small sample size, it shows the impact that he has on the floor.

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Karl-Anthony Towns talks about what it would mean for the Knicks to win the NBA Cup

Although the NBA Cup isn't the ultimate goal, winning it gives teams reason to stay competitive in the grueling 82-game season. Karl-Anthony Towns believes it will be significantly positive for the Knicks.

“It would mean a lot. I think it’ll give us some good energy, good mojo,” Towns said. “When you get that feeling of winning a championship in any sort of tournament, the NBA Finals, that feeling is something you chase. To get a taste of winning, I think it would a lot for us.”

New York has shown promise this season with its 18-7 record. Towns has made major contributions, averaging 22.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists through 24 games.

The Knicks have championship aspirations this season, especially after making the conference finals last year. Being in the NBA Cup Finals could be a taste of what the team's season could look like if things go their way. The final game of the In-Season Tournament will be played in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Edited by Reign Amurao