Jalen Brunson is not going to finish in the top five of MVP voting next season…or so says a panel of ESPN insiders.
The Worldwide Leader just had a group of its NBA minds put together preseason ballots for every major award. Other than Mike Brown receiving plenty of consideration for Coach of the Year, the New York Knicks are not well-represented.
That makes some sense. New York doesn’t have a newbie capable of winning Rookie of the Year. Defensive Player of the Year is predominantly a big man’s award. Someone on the roster could enter the Sixth Man of the Year discussion, but it’s tough to pinpoint who when we continue to debate which players will populate the starting lineup.
Believe it or not, MVP may be the award a Knicks player is most likely to win, because Jalen Brunson exists. But ESPN’s panel didn’t have him in their top five—or really, top six:
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (83 points)
- Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (62 points)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (46 points)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks/Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (nine points)
- Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets (eight points)
Preseason MVP ballots are not fait accompli. Still, after finishing 10th in voting last year and fifth in 2023-24, Brunson’s absence is notable. It could also technically be a good thing.
The Knicks could benefit from Jalen Brunson doing less
If Brunson is not featured prominently in the MVP discussion, it could mean one of two things: something has gone horribly wrong, or the Knicks are running more of an egalitarian offense that diminishes the counting stats voters love.
Here’s hoping it’s the latter.
Streamlining Brunson’s existence is among Brown’s most important jobs next season. New York has been too dependent on its captain over the past three years. He has ranked in the 95th percentile or higher of true usage while also clearing 2,000 minutes in each season. The only other players to do the same these past three years are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Damian Lillard, according to BBall-Index.
This is, on many levels, a testament to Brunson’s durability, and superstar offensive package. It’s also asking for trouble. Doing this year in and year out takes a toll, particularly as a small guard. The Knicks have to care about winning a title next season, but they also need to think about keeping Brunson fresh for the playoffs, as well as for the next three to five years—and beyond.
Brown could be just the person for this job. He has already confirmed he plans to put Brunson in different types of situations. That should come as a relief to the point guard, who needed to generate over 70 percent of his made baskets last season from scratch.
Maybe Jalen Brunson proves ESPN wrong, too
Brunson’s exclusion from this exercise is also worth celebrating for the usual reasons: It gives him a chance to prove everybody wrong. Again.
Who knows, perhaps playing inside a more diverse offense prompts his numbers to explode. Failing that, if the Knicks look like a more convincing title contender, while he remains at the forefront of it all, he’s bound to get plenty of MVP love.
When you really think about it, ESPN’s poll stands to be a miniature blessing in disguise. It could signal much-needed change in New York and be flat-out wrong—all at the same time.