Knicks at the All-Star Game: TNT Analysts Unanimously Agree on Jalen Brunson's Status
Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle were not on the list of starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game unveiled on Thursday, but both of them made their case in the ensuing visit from the defending champion Denver Nuggets: in a 122-84 blowout win, Brunson scored 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting while Randle had 17 points with eight assists and seven rebounds.
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After they dominated Denver, TNT's "Inside the NBA" crew consisting of Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith offered some hypothetical honors for the Knicks: in naming their All-Star reserves to join the 10 starters, all four put Brunson among the Eastern Conference group while Johnson and Smith both placed Randle on theirs.
Even though he was barely snubbed by the starters (narrowly missing out on one of the backcourt spots taken by Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard), Brunson feels well on his way to his first All-Star Game appearance. As it stands, the second-year Knick is putting career-bests in scoring (26.5 points per game), assists (6.4), and three-point field goal percentage (42.4).
Notably absent from Thursday's panel was WNBA All-Star Candace Parker, who drew the wrath of Knicks fans for doubting Brunson's status as the top player on a potential championship team during TNT's pregame coverage of New York's Tuesday game in Brooklyn. While Parker defended her stance on social media, she did clarify that Brunson was worthy of reach his first All-Star Game.
While the TNT quartet was almost unanimous in selecting their Eastern reserves, Johnson and Smith each nominated Randle whereas Barkley picked Myles Turner of the hosting Indiana Pacers, and O'Neal opted for Atlanta's Trae Young. Randle's slow start to the season created an uphill battle to his potential third All-Star Game appearance, but he has since recovered to the point where his major averages (24.1 points, 9.2 rebounds) are at least close to where they were a year ago.
Randle, Brunson, and the rest of the Knicks (28-17) will be back in action on Saturday against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
