"We got to wake the hell up" - Jalen Brunson shares frustration over Knicks’ 0-7 record against top NBA teams

People feel the Jalen Brunson-led New York Knicks could win the NBA championship this season. After their big moves to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks set up one of the NBA's best starting line-ups. Their 38-20 record does have them amongst the best in the league. However, their performances against the top three teams in the league this season have led to questions about whether they are legitimate contenders.

The Knicks are 0-7 against the Thunder, Cavaliers and Celtics for the season. Since the Cavaliers and Celtics are in the same conference as the Knicks, this does ring some alarm bells, and All-Star Jalen Brunson is fed up with this concerning repetition of events.

"I do want to talk about something, though," he said on Thursday while appearing on the 'Room Mates Show.' "Our record against the top teams in the NBA. Pretty horse s**t. The frustrating part about all that is we have what it takes. We have the personnel.

We have everything we need in that locker room. We just got to put it together. The amount of times we have been embarassed on national television. I mean, that should ring a bell. That should be a wake up call in itself. Not just for those games, for the rest of the season. We got to wake the hell up."

Talking about their miserable record on the show with Josh Hart, Brunson was candid about how he believes their poor showing isn't something that can be brushed aside. With the business end of the season fast approaching, the Knicks would be best served listening to their talisman and "waking up" if their calculated and excellent roster building isn't to go to waste.

Brunson, who took a financial hit to make it possible, doesn't want his team to waste time during their championship window.

Jalen Brunson took a $113 million pay cut to help the New York Knicks improve their roster

Setting up a starting five of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns was an expensive effort, and it would not have been possible without a major sacrifice undertaken by their team captain. Brunson, eligible for a guaranteed $270 million extension, signed with the team for a reported four-year deal worth $156.5 million to ensure the rest of the roster could be shaped toward contention.

Brunson, Anunoby, and Towns are the three highest earners at the Knicks - Source: Getty

Previously undervalued by the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson showed his commitment toward building a winning culture in New York by passing on guaranteed money for the greater good. If the team fails to rectify its poor run of form against bigger teams, which is an issue that could be magnified in the playoffs, no one arguably stands to lose more than Brunson.

The Knicks ought to wake up, and Brunson feels it's time his teammates buckle up and bring a championship back to New York.