Forget the All-Star stuff ; it's prob time we start debating if Jalen Brunson will make an All-NBA Team

Brunson, the true Basquiat of Basketball, is averaging 35.2 points, 6.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.2 made three-pointers over the Knicks past five games.

Yes, the Knicks gave their fans another near heart attack in their win over the Wizards Friday night in DC. At this point, it's a familiar script. New York was up 15 in the fourth and led by nine points with two minutes remaining in regulation, but still had to hold on for dear life. 

Nonetheless, the 'Bockers escaped with another narrow victory and improved to 24-19 on the season. New York is now closer in the standings to the Number 2 seed (Brooklyn) than the Number 10 seed (Toronto) in the Eastern Conference.

We'll talk later on about the issues that nearly tripped up NY on Friday (namely, the maddening "prevent offense" in the fourth quarter and Julius Randle's dubious decision-making), but first, let's take some time this Saturday morning to give some flowers to NY's PG.

Jalen Brunson finished Friday's 112-108 victory with 34 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and three 3-pointers in 40 minutes. He was 12-of-24 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. He scored eight of those 34 points in the final frame and knocked down a pair of clutch free throws with 13.9 seconds left to seal the victory. 

Over the Knicks' past three games, Brunson is averaging 37.3 points, 6.0 boards and 5.3 dimes (vs. just 1.7 turnovers) while shooting 51.4% from the floor and 50% from downtown and is a perfect 26-of-26 from the charity stripe. He is the first and only player in Knicks franchise history to tally at least 34 points (on 50+% shooting), four assists and three made three-pointers in three straight games. According to Basketball-Reference, the only player in NBA history with a longer such streak is Damian Lillard. 

JB is the only five players ever to score more than 30 points and slash at least 50/40/100 in three consecutive contests. The other four members of this exclusive club are Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Dame Lillard and Larry Bird. Some decent company, huh? 

In the six games he has played since returning to the lineup on January 2, Brunson is averaging 33 .3 points, 5.7 boards and 6.0 assists. Luka Doncic is the only other dude to match or exceed each of Brunson's point/assist/reb averages this month, but JB's been far more efficient. 

These numbers in a vacuum are obviously eye-popping, but what makes Brunson's production that much more remarkable is how he gets his buckets. Nearly everyone that guards Brunson is taller and faster and more athletic. Brunson doesn't leap over anybody. You don't see many crossovers or excessive/unnecessary dribbling to get past opponents. Instead, Brunson outsmarts his defender by utilizing impeccable footwork perfected through thousands upon thousands of hours of practice. 

Draft guru Jonathan Wasserman tweeted last night that Brunson (who slipped into the second round of the 2018 draft due to his less-than-ideal physique) "defies traditional laws of upside that suggest athleticism fuels star potential. Not sure JB could hop over a deep puddle. Gonna have my kid study Brunson's patience, counters, touch shots, demeanor."

Amen. My wife is barely 5 feet, and my three-year-old son is one of the smallest kids in his preschool class. I'm assuming that won't change. I can't wait to show little Tommy some tape of Brunson going to work. 

I was watching ESPN's First Take (I know, my fault) while making lunch this Thursday. The question on the table was, "Who is the best player in the NBA right now." Inexplicably, Jay Williams tried to argue that "real hoopers" would claim that honor belongs to Kyrie Irving. 

"I've never seen a player do things with the basketball that Kyrie can do," Williams stated, claiming that Kyre would put himself in the MVP conversation. "I've never seen anything like it before… He's a wizard. He's like the Basquiat of the NBA. He is that artist of the NBA." Williams added that "offensively, [Irving] is a force that the game of basketball has never seen." 

First and foremost, I blame myself for wasting my time watching that foolishness. The last quote literally made me laugh out loud. For the record, Kyrie, who will turn 31 in a couple of months, ranks 155th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, behind Byron Scott, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Richard Jefferson. (Sorry, I forgot facts matter. My bad.) As an aside, that wasn't even the dumbest thing Jay Williams said this week - this was. 

"Kyrie Irving is a gift from the Basketball gods," Williams said earlier this year. "I'm willing to insert him in the conversation for the best player in the game of basketball right now."

But there's no need to pick on Williams; he's merely echoing a talking point that's floated around basketball Twitter for years: Irving is awesome because he has an incredible handle and looks cool when he dribbles and has an amazing layup package. 

However, when I heard Jay Williams describe Kyrie as a wizard/artist, I immediately thought of Brunson. Having the opportunity to watch this man on a nightly basis these past three months has been an absolute joy. Yes, it's possible NY's lack of a true point guard over the past two decades makes Knicks fans even more appreciative of Brunson's beautiful game. An ice-cold beer tastes good anytime, but imagine how it would taste to a man stranded in a PG-less dessert for 20 years. 

For some context, Brunson has already scored 30+ points nine times over the first half of the 2022-23 campaign. The only other Knicks point guard with more than two 30-point games over the past 15 years was Emmanuel Mudiay, who had three in 2018-19.

Watching Brunson get defenders slightly off balance and use their momentum against them is like observing a skilled martial arts expert. Forgive Knicks fans if they feel like Brunson resembles a shrunken, poor man's version of Kevin McHale or Hakeem in the low post. (Per Synergy, JB is averaging 1.2 points per possession on post-ups this season, which ranks in the 99th percentile.) Throwing up pump fakes and spins near the elbow, he seems reminiscent of Kobe on occasion. Brunson also ranks in the 99th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball handler due to his incredible ability to navigate screens. The guy is an offensive genius, a 6-foot version of Nikola Jokic.

It's because Brunson is so effective and efficient despite not being blessed with many of the physical gifts so many of his counterparts possess that I am so often left in awe. Although he doesn't dribble between his legs or make defenders fall all that often, he gets the job done. I suppose it depends on your definition of wizardly and beauty, but I find it magnificent. 

Jean-Michel Basquiat, an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s in Manhattan, relied on "abstraction" in his art to "attack on power structures." Like Brunson, Basquiat's work wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as many of his contemporaries, but it was undeniably impactful. 

And, make no mistake, Brunson's production has been crucial to the Knicks' success. Just how important, you ask? Consider this: The Knicks are 18-6 (.750 winning percentage) when Brunson scores more than 20 points this season. The Knicks are 6-13 (.315 winning percentage) in games he has not played or when he scored 20 points or less.

There has been plenty of debate over the past few weeks about whether Brunson would be the first Knicks guard to make an All-Star team since Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell in 2001. Brunson currently ranks outside the top 10 in fan voting (while Kyrie leads all guards with more than 3 million votes), but that's merely "Exhibit A" of why you shouldn't argue with people on the internet. 

At this point, considering how well Brunson has played this season (especially this month) and the extent to which the Knicks have exceeded expectations, JB is a lock to make his first All-Star appearance if he continues to perform close to this level, and New York maintains the sixth seed in the East. 

Keep in mind, the Knicks finished last season eight games under .500, dead last in the Atlantic and 11th place in the Conference. The only substantial change on the roster this summer was the addition of Brunson at point guard. The Knicks currently have a significantly better record than the Clippers, Suns, Wolves, Heat and Hawks. Who would have predicted that on Opening Night? 

At some point soon, we may want to stop debating if he is worthy of an All-Star berth and start discussing if Brunson is on his way toward making an All-NBA Team. Last season, Chris Paul and Trae Young were the guards on the All-NBA Third Team. When you factor in efficiency and team success, Brunson is playing better than both of those dudes this year. In 2021-22, Bradley Beal and Kyrie Irving made the All-NBA Third Team. 

This season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Micthell are also playing at an elite level. Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox have taken their games to the next level as well. James Harden has bounced back. So there will be plenty of competition for those final two guard spots, but JB's resume looks awfully impressive.

Over the past month, dating back to December 14th, Brunson is averaging 26.5 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. The only players to match or exceed JB in each of those categories are Jokic, LeBron, Ja Morant and Doncic. Of those five, Brunson has committed the fewest turnovers and posted the highest three-point percentage. 

While we still have a long way to go, Brunson, my vote for Basquiat of Basketball, will be in the All-NBA mix if he keeps this up. 

And it's been a joy to watch New York’s new point guard paint masterpieces on a nightly basis.