Jalen Brunson named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The New York Knicks’ biggest offseason acquisition continues to shine as Jalen Brunson was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday after a rather impressive stretch last week.

Over the week in question, Brunson averaged 34.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game as the Knicks went 3-1 over that span. That stretch included a career-high 38-point performance in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Despite being rewarded for just last week, Brunson has been electric since returning from a hip injury he suffered during a Christmas loss to the 76ers.

Since returning, Brunson has scored more than 20 points in eight straight games. He’s also scored 30 points or more in nine games already this season and is averaging 31.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in the month of January, a stretch in which the Knicks have gone 6-2.

His 22.4 points per game average so far this year is easily the best of his career, and everything the point guard has done so far in his first year in New York is proof that he has lived up to the $104 million contract bestowed to him last offseason. As the Knicks try to separate themselves from Play-In Tournament territory, Brunson has played a pivotal role.

Part of that has been his performance in the clutch.

As we covered last week, according to NBA.com’s Clutch Stats, which is defined as “when the score is within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime,” Brunson is 6th in the league with 4.7 clutch points per game. He’s also shooting 50% from beyond the arc in clutch situations and averaged the 4th-most clutch field goals made per game in the NBA.

In addition to awarding Jalen Brunson as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the NBA also mentioned that his teammate, Julius Randle, was also considered for the honor. Randle, the Knicks’ leading scorer and rebounder, averaged 26 points and 15.8 rebounds over the four games last week and has an 11-game active streak of double-doubles as he rebounds from a poor 2021-22 season.