In the NBA, there are role players, great players, All-Stars and superstars.
Jalen Brunson has risen to become all of those.
At Villanova, he was a 2x NCAA champion, 2x All-Big East selection and the National Player of the Year. Even more impressive was the fact that he did it all while graduating in three years.
Despite his accolades, Brunson wasn’t taken until the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft when the Dallas Mavericks selected him with the 33rd overall pick.
Foolishly, teams questioned his athleticism and height, particularly as it related to his ability to defend.
Oftentimes, teams look for flash instead of heart, intelligence, leadership and other qualities that can’t be measured by statistics or analytics.
Those intangibles, which can’t tracked, are why some Knicks fans complained that the team overpaid him in 2022 with a four-year, $104 million free-agent deal.
Brunson’s signing didn’t energize Knicks fans like the moment when the team won the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, netting them Patrick Ewing.
But in just two years, Brunson has already been called one of the greatest Knicks in history, some even calling him the current King of New York.
Some might shake their heads at these claims, but his game gives them validation.
This season, Brunson averaged career-highs in scoring (28.7), assists (6.7), free throw percentage (84.7%), attempted field goals (21.4) and minutes played (35.4). He also made the All-Star team for the first time in his career, although he really should be a 2x All-Star as he deserved the nod in 2022.
But in the playoffs, where most legends are made, Brunson has elevated his game to new heights.
Against the Sixers, he averaged 35.5 ppg and 9.0 apg and was the most dangerous player on the floor during the six-game series.
These performances are why fans serenaded him with “MVP” chants on a nightly basis, and MVP is something he deserved much more consideration for.
He might not be flashy, but his body control, understanding of positioning, ball-handling skills, confidence and ability to hit big shots give him a special swagger. He might not be a big talker, but he lets his game speak for him, and it screams volumes, letting everyone know that he’s the one to watch and fear.
If you ask most fans who are the best guards in the NBA, they will probably respond with names like Luka, Steph, Dame and Shai.
Jalen Brunson now deserves to be mentioned in that circle.
He was the league’s fourth-leading scorer behind Luka, Giannis and Shai, and in the playoffs, he’s making history.
Last night, he became the second player in NBA playoff history, behind Oscar Robinson, to have three games of 35+ points and 10+ assists in a series.
