Jalen Brunson has already racked up two All-NBA Second Team selections with the New York Knicks. If he keeps hooping the way he is now, he could be headed for a First Team nod at the end of this season—an esteemed honor that would put him in incredibly rare company.
Patrick Ewing was the last member of the Knicks to earn an All-NBA First Team cameo…all the way back in 1989-40. That’s nearly 40 years ago for those keeping score at home.
Not only that, but only five Knicks players all-time have received a First Team bid: Ewing (once), Bernard King (twice), Walt Clyde Fraizer (four times), Willis Reed (once), and Harry Gallatin (once).
Even thinking about this is surreal. Brunson already has a case to land on the Knicks’ all-time Mt. Rushmore of players. Bagging a First Team All-NBA selection would just about guarantee that “making the Mt. Rushmore cut” is his floor.
Jalen Brunson has All-NBA First Team Credentials
Remember when so many pundits wondered whether Brunson would be able to handle playing inside Mike Brown’s offense, a system that generally calls for less heliocentrism, and more egalitarianism and variability? Well, New York’s captain has turned any and all concerns into freezing-cold LOL takes.
Sure, Brunson has deviated from the script on occasion—most noticeably in crunch time, or when the Knicks find themselves in the hole. But the entire team is up against a learning curve. Which is to say, even though they rank second in offensive efficiency, neither the team nor Brunson has necessarily hit their peak.
That is pretty absurd when you look at JB’s numbers. He is averaging 27.6 points and 6.4 assists on slightly lower efficiency, but still above-average true shooting overall (58.4). Though he’s spending more time off the ball, his true usage rate (which incorporates assists and potential assists) has actually climbed, according to BBall Index. His already-low turnover rate, meanwhile, has dropped even further, to 9.3—the second-best mark of his career.
This ability to shoulder heavy volume without squandering possessions remains big-time. Among everyone who is matching Brunson’s true usage, only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, is averaging fewer turnovers per 75 possessions.
More impressive still, this would be the second time Brunson has posted usage and assist rates over 30 with a turnover percentage below 10. That ties him with SGA for the most in NBA history.
The Door is Open for Jalen Brunson to Make First Team All-NBA
After Sharpie-ing SGA, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic into First Team slots, two more selections are up for grabs. And while JB has a case based purely on his own merits, the games-played landscape is only helping him.
Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Halliburton are already out of the running. Ditto for Jalen Williams. Giannis Antetokounmpo most likely isn’t hitting the 65-games threshold following his latest calf injury. LeBron James has already used up most of his absences. Victor Wembanyama is about to miss his 10th game. Kawhi Leonard has already missed 10.
The list goes on. And it will get longer. But the ever-durable Brunson likely won’t appear on it. He plays. That’s what he does.
So if you believe he will continue to average 25-plus points and six-plus assists on good efficiency while shouldering an obscene workload, then you also believe he’ll be a finalist for one of the two remaining All-NBA First Team slots—and a huge piece of Knicks franchise history.