Jalen Brunson clearly performed at an All-Star level throughout his first two seasons with the Knicks, despite being snubbed for that honor a year ago.
However, his increasingly great play as of late only enhances Brunson's status as one of the NBA's top point guards.
The $104 million bargain has scored at least 30 points in five straight games entering Thursday's home game against the Nuggets, and OG Anunoby joined the Knicks lineup on Jan. 1 in a trade with the Raptors. Since then, he has accomplished that seven times in 10 appearances.
Although Brunson missed two games during that period (a win against the Grizzlies and a loss against the Magic) with a calf injury, the Knicks won 10 of 12 games overall and finished above .500 in 10 games ( They improved to 27 wins, 17 losses). At this time of the season.
Brunson and Julius Randle have each scored at least 30 points in five of Brunson's 10 games since the calendar changed, most recently in Tuesday's come-from-behind win over the Nets in Brooklyn. Both are recording exactly that number.
“I think we're playing the right way and staying locked in. It starts with me and J,” Randle said after the game. “We know we’re getting a lot of attention, so we have to make the right plays.”
Since Anunoby's arrival, Brunson is averaging 29.0 points and 8.0 assists, and his career-high 26.6 points per game overall this season ranks 12th in the league through Tuesday's game.
Still, the NBA's All-Star starters are set to be announced Thursday night, and Brunson's recent surprising performance may not be enough to earn him one of the Eastern Conference's first two backcourt spots. Maybe.
Even if Brunson is not named a starter, he could be named to his first career All-Star appearance when reserve players are named next Thursday.
Coaches in each conference vote on reserve players, but cannot choose players themselves.
Brunson was ranked No. 6 in the East among backcourt players in the latest fan voting, where he counts as 50 percent of the starting unit. The remaining 50 percent will be distributed to NBA players and select media members.
Randle has been named to the All-Star team in two of the last three seasons, averaging 24.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists and should be considered for a third season.
Only MVP candidates Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have posted higher numbers in those categories this season.
Still, even if the Knicks only get one representative this season, Brunson will be hard to ignore despite the stiff competition among guards in the East.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton (23.6 points, league-leading 12.6 assists) and Hawks guard Trae Young (26.9 points, 10.8 assists) led the fan vote in the fan vote, but Haliburton recently suffered a hamstring injury. The Hawks played in Wednesday's game after missing several games with an injury. In games at Golden State, they had 18 wins and 25 losses.
In the East, Damian Lillard (Bucks), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Tyrese Maxey (76ers) are also strong candidates for All-Star selection, and they topped Brunson in fan voting.
That doesn't include fringe candidates like Derrick White and Jrue Holiday of the Celtics or the Pistons' Cade Cunningham, the worst in the NBA, but it's hard to imagine Brunson being excluded from any of them.
On TNT's studio show Tuesday night, analyst Candace Parker noted that Mitchell “gets the nod over Brunson,” but Jamal Crawford and Shaquille O'Neal are the Knicks' starting point guard. I supported it as a seat.
“For me, it's Brunson's stability…I think he's the clear No. 1 option, an All-Star starter,” Crawford said.
“I chose Brunson. … He's a bad guy,” O'Neal added. “I haven’t seen the little guy do whatever he wants to do since then. [Allen] Iverson, that's why I like Branson. ”
Brunson and Knicks teammate Josh Hart were also selected this week to be among the 41 players considered for Team USA's roster for this summer's Olympics in Paris, after competing in the FIBA World Cup last August.
