Monday, January 20th, was the final day for fans to vote their favorite players into the All-Star starting lineup. After the third fan returns, Jalen Brunson placed fourth among East guards, trailing LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, and Damian Lillard. As of the last returns, Brunson only trailed Lillard by 27,000 votes but is over 300,000 behind Mitchell for second. Although players and media members account for 50% of the starter selection, Brunson may be too far behind to crack the starting lineup. Through Brunson’s recent All-Star statement, he’s shown that he deserves to be a starter, regardless of what the fans say.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić lead their respective conferences in the third fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.
Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. Players and a media panel account for 25% each. pic.twitter.com/FBGGd00GB2
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 16, 2025
Jalen Brunson Making All-Star Statement
Brunson had an interesting first half with this new Knicks group. His efficiency was up from last season, as were his assists, but he didn’t seem to be his dominant scoring self of 2023-24. Obviously, his circumstances have changed, with a much-improved supporting cast alleviating the offensive pressure. He hasn’t needed to average 30 with four other starters posting 14 or more points a night. This season, he’s succeeded as a playmaker (7.4 assists, 2.4 turnovers), been an efficient scorer (48.8/39.3 splits), and has captained NY’s second-ranked offense.
Unfortunately, his Knicks have hit a rough patch, losing six of ten since their nine-game winning streak. As he so often does, New York’s captain sensed a need for his ailing, exhausted team, and stepped his level of play up to 2023-24 standards.
NY’s Captain Showed Why He’s King of New York
Over the past five games, Brunson reverted back to the one-man scoring show of last year. In his last five outings, he’s averaged 34.6 points and 6.4 assists on 55.8% from the field and 42.9% from deep, leading NY to a 3-2 record. His Knicks needed every one of those buckets in the 38-point explosion for an OT win in Philly. He also provided the spark for much-needed victories over the rival Hawks and Bucks, dropping 34 and 44 points. In the Milwaukee game, he left in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, only to return to thunderous MVP chants and continue his domination on the court.
Furthermore, in the Knicks’ last 12 contests, he’s put up 30.4 points and 6.7 assists per game. Although his play hasn’t been perfect in that stretch, Brunson took control and made sure the season wasn’t derailed. Winners know when their team needs them to take a step back, as Brunson has done all season. This was not the moment for that, and he knew it. New York was rudderless for two weeks and needed their captain to steer the ship back in the right direction.
Brunson Should be an All-Star Starter
While the NBA All-Star Game has a new format, it still recognizes the 12 best players from each conference. The starting lineups are designed to do the same for the top five guys on each side. With the new format, 15 players will start. Nevertheless, Brunson stands out among other East guards. Brunson has not only proven he’s a top-two guard in the East but he’s also played like one this year. He’s third in points (26.2), fourth in assists (7.4), and fifth in TS (60.7%) among East point guards. His Knicks are 28-16, third in the conference, with the sixth-best net rating in basketball. New York has the second-rated offense with Brunson at the helm.
Lastly, Brunson is flatly the best point guard in the East. Ball, Mitchell, and Lillard are great players, but Brunson has proven to be superior to each one of them over the past few years. As for this season, Ball has only played 28 games, is very inefficient, and his team is 11-28. Lillard has had a comparable campaign to Brunson, but is 2.5 games back in the standings, and is 0-2 against NY. Mitchell’s numbers (23.3 points, 4.5 assists on 58% TS) don’t measure up to NY’s star, although his Cavaliers are running away with the one seed on a 70-win pace. If you ask me, Mitchell and Brunson should both be starting guards at the All-Star Game on February 16th.
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