Kyle Lowry and Jalen Brunson by the numbers
Kyle Lowry is a six-time All-Star who has won a title and was for a long time considered one of the best two-way point guards in the NBA, so it might seem a stretch to compare Brunson to him, but the two have a lot in common.
Just on the surface level, Lowry and Brunson are both the same size, just over six feet tall but making up for it with strength and toughness.
They both went to Villanova, a school that has been cranking out the types of players the Pistons want, including current Piston Saddiq Bey. Having a Villanova connection would not be the worst thing for Detroit, as their players are smart, well-coached and hard working.
And if you look at their stats, both Lowry and Brunson followed the same trajectory.
Both were somewhat late bloomers who didn’t average double digits until they were 24-years-old and then just kept getting better.
And just look at their 25-year-old numbers:
- Kyle Lowry-14.3 points, 6.6 assists. 4.5 rebounds, 37% from 3-point range on 4.5 attempts
- Jalen Brunson-16.3 points, 4.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 37% from 3-point range on 3.2 attempts
Brunson is actually a better scorer than Lowry was at the same age, and they shoot similarly from long range, though Lowry averaged more assists, which makes sense considering he wasn’t playing with Luka Doncic.
Brunson is the better finisher around the rim, as Lowry has never shot 54 percent from inside the arc in his career. Lowry is the better defender, but Brunson has shown some dawg on that end and isn’t a sieve.
Lowry continued to improve after age 25, making the All-Star team six times between age 28 and 33, so the Pistons would sign Brunson hoping that he can continue to follow Lowry’s career path and eventually be an All-Star level guard.
If his performance in the playoffs so far is any indication, Brunson might have that next level in him.