Sibling revelry
PHILADELPHIA — It’s the family’s biggest regret.
Jean-Micheal Mudiay said he believes younger brother Emmanuel’s career would look differently had he attended SMU and learned under Larry Brown for a season instead of going to China to play professionally after high school.
After 2 ¹/2 underachieving seasons with the Nuggets, Mudiay was dealt to the Knicks at Thursday’s trade deadline and turned out a smoking debut Sunday in Indianapolis with a 14-point, 10assist gem in 29 minutes.
“He’s on cloud nine right now,” Jean-Micheal told The Post in a phone interview from Dallas.
Jean-Micheal, who serves as Mudiay’s manager, played for Brown at SMU from 2013-2015 but never was as gifted as his 21-yearold brother.
“Had he played one year with Larry Brown, no doubt in my mind he would’ve been the No. 1 pick in the draft based on his talent,” said Jean-Micheal, who is 26. “He would’ve learned how to play the game of basketball. I know what he would’ve learned. After playing for Larry, I questioned every other coach I ever had in the past. I learned the actual game.
“So he didn’t have college basketball, didn’t get to play for Larry, and he’s been playing off athleticism his whole time.”
This isn’t meant as a knock on Nuggets coach Michael Malone, but now, Jean-Micheal said he senses Mudiay is in a place where the coaches and management believe in him. Mudiay was a starter his rookie year in Denver, then in and out of the rotation for parts of his second and third seasons.
“I think it’s going to be great for him,’’ Jean-Micheal said. “If he went to New York his rookie year, I don’t know how it would’ve went. I know he’s ready for it now. He’s excited to get the opportunity to play and feel wanted somewhere. I think he’s prepared for this stage. He puts in the work.
“The change of scenery will help him out a lot because he needed somebody who will believe in him and groom him to be the player he is going to be. But the adversity [in Denver] was good for him.”
For his encore, Emmanuel Mudiay was held to seven points and two assists in a 108-92 loss to the 76ers on Monday night. It was surprising Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek rolled with Mudiay for 29 minutes in Sunday’s loss in Indiana after he had not practiced with the team. Mudiay seemed to tire toward the end after a whirlwind week and being unaccustomed to playing heavy minutes.
But he thrived, whipping some clever passes and snaking in for a couple of dunks and one circus shot that showed his body control. On a drive, Mudiay flipped the ball in the air as he crashed to the court. Hornacek raved afterward about Mudiay’s court sense and his chemistry with fellow point guard Frank Ntilikina.
“It’s his feel for the game,” Jean-Micheal said. “Court vision. He doesn’t get fed up. Nothing really gets to him, doesn’t get too high or low.”