Jalen Brunson looked hobbled at the start of Wednesday night's game against the Nets after banging knees while trying to defend a drive early in the first quarter. But the Knicks point guard walked it off, then walked all over Brooklyn in a stellar performance.
All told, Brunson scored 39 points while shooting a ridiculous 15-for-18 from the field, including 5-for-6 from downtown while dishing out six assists. It was one of his best nights as a Knick in a season that has been full of stellar performances, and BT says it all adds up to the realization that Brunson needs to be recognized as a superstar in the NBA.
"I am all in on everybody being wrong…if you listen and just watch for commercials and buzz and clicks and merch sales, it doesn't really mean what you are as a basketball player," BT said. "If you don't care about that stuff and just care about the night-to-night impact that players around the league are having on their teams, I think you're out of your mind to think that Jalen Brunson isn't a superstar."
Brunson, despite being snubbed in the All-Star voting, has had arguably the biggest impact of any free agent signing from this past offseason, and the Knicks have reached another level with him leading the way. The New York offense is among the best in the NBA since December, and since the calendar flipped to 2023, Brunson has been out of this world, averaging 28.6 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from beyond the arc.
BT says if you take Brunson off the Knicks, they would suffer a steep decline that most teams wouldn't have to endure if they lost their most valuable contributor. And that's what qualifies Brunson as a superstar.
"I watch this guy play every night, and I want to know, if you're judging by the literal definition of the award…if you take variable x and subtract it from variable y, what is the result for team z? The result is not good for the Knicks," BT said. "Name three other situations around the NBA where if you take away their star player, they are more adversely affected in the standings. I'll obviously give you Giannis…Steph Curry, he's banged up. Damian Lillard, he's amazing…where are they going? Nowhere. As great as Jayson Tatum is, what have they accomplished yet?
"To me, Jalen Brunson is a superstar for two reasons. Number one, he's got the numbers, and number two, he's elevated as much or more than almost anybody in the NBA."
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