How Knicks' Jalen Brunson Lands An All-NBA Team Nod
The New York Knicks currently sit among the six automatic playoff teams in the Eastern Conference thanks in part to a career-best season from Jalen Brunson. In the midst of his second season with the Knicks, Brunson is averaging career-bests in scoring (27.7) and assists (6.7) and he was recently invited to his first All-Star Game.
Brunson has been the most impactful player for the Knicks this season, as he's been forced to carry the load in recent weeks with OG Anunoby and Julius Randle sidelined indefinitely. His impact was on display in his absence on Tuesday night, when he sat out of the team's 116-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks due to a knee injury sustained Sunday in Cleveland.
Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS
Though Brunson's injury has dominated the headlines, Bleacher Report included him in their projections for the All-NBA teams, placing the point guard on the third unit.
"For all the flame-throwing Donte DiVincenzo has done this season, the New York Knicks are not a billboard for picture-perfect spacing in the half-court," Bleacher Report's Dan Favale writes. "Brunson is so often attacking through paint-packed defenses—center-of-it-all attention that has impacted his inside-the-arc efficiency since leaving Dallas. He has countered this reality by ... developing into one of the most dangerous off-the-dribble three-point shooters alive."
If Brunson keeps up his current pace, there's no reason not to believe that he'll be a part of the season-ending honors in some way, shape, or form. Brunson was a finalist for last year's Most Improved Player Award but lost out to Utah's Lauri Markkanen.
In his quest to break through on the All-NBA groups, Brunson faces stiff competition in the backcourt: the current Bleacher Report projections place Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Donovan Mitchell on the first and second teams, for example. But Brunson's direct value to the Knicks ... which will be apparent if he's forced to miss more time ... could give him an edge over the competition.
Time will tell if Brunson is able to suit for the Knicks' next game on Friday, when they continue a homestand against the Orlando Magic (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
