Jalen Brunson Deserves to be Included in the MVP Conversation

Somehow, the former second-round pick, whom the Mavs deemed unworthy of signing a contract that would have locked him up at right around the mid-level exception, is still being overlooked...

For years, Knicks fans have been haunted by "what ifs…"

What if Steph Curry fell one more spot in the draft, and New York got the greatest shooter ever instead of Jordan Hill? 

What if the Knicks didn't deal away two lottery picks (which ended up being LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah) in a sign-and-trade for Eddy Curry? 

What if NY didn't sign Jerome "Big Snacks" James to a 5-year contract or Joakim Noah to a 4-year, $72 million deal? 

However, instead of wasting time debating which heart-breaking mistake was more costly, Knicks fans can now focus on rooting for a team fighting for a top seed in the East. And a primary reason for New York's success is the point guard at the point of attack. 

In a podcast released on Wednesday, Brunson confirmed that he wanted to sign an extension that would have kept him in Dallas for the rest of his 20s. Brunson told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson that before the 2021-22 campaign started, he was willing to ink a four-year, $55 million extension with the Mavs but that the Dallas front office rebuffed his advances. Then, around 25 games into the season, Brunson approached the suits in the Mavericks C-Suite again, re-affirming his desire to get a deal done. Once again, he was shot down. According to Brunson, the Mavs wanted to take a "wait and see" approach. 

Even after his breakout performance in the 2022 postseason, Brunson believed he would remain in Big D. "I remember seeing something on Twitter after the game and it was like, Mark [Cuban] saying, 'we can pay him the most money," Brunson explained. "He says that in the interview, literally right after the game. And so I'm thinking, like, alright, I'm okay. After that, it was crickets. From my point of view, can't speak for anyone else, it was crickets."

Those crickets resulted in Leon Rose and Brunson agreeing to a four-year, $104 million deal with New York.

 

When Jalen Brunson first signed with the Knicks in July of 2022, even the most optimistic of Knicks fans would not have had the gall to suggest Brunson would play well enough to be considered one of the league's most valuable players. 

In fact, plenty of pundits suggested the Knicks had overpaid for a player who wasn't even "above average for his position." 

Yet, here we are, 18 months later, and the numbers dictate the diminutive point guard has earned a seat at the table. 

Now, for once, it's another franchise singing the blues. Fans in Texas are forced to ask themselves, "What if!??!" as they watch Brunson emerge as a legit superstar in the Big Apple. 

Brunson is posting career-highs across the board this season and took his game to unimaginable heights in the final two months before the All-Star break. During this 32-game stretch, Brunson averaged 30.0 points, 7.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 made three-pointers, while shooting 50% from the floor, 40% from downtown and 87% from the FT stripe. The only other player to average at least 30/7/4 over that same stretch was his former backcourt mate, Luka Doncic.

On the season, he ranks fourth in total points scored, trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic (JB is just ahead of Jayson Tatum, Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic). 

Brunson's unique ability to score in traffic among trees and from behind the arc has made him one of the game's greatest offensive weapons. He ranks in the top 20 in three-pointers (139) while shooting a blistering 41.1% from behind the arc. 

He has also racked up 172 made FGs inside the paint's non-restricted area, second most in the NBA (only Jokic has more).