National pundits who once slammed the Knicks for signing Jalen Brunson can take a backseat as they try to contort an argument saying that the All-Star point guard is not worthy of being a finalist for the 2024 NBA MVP Award.
We are long past that talking point and anyone still trying to make it is nothing more than an insecure content creator who is coming to terms that they will have to find a different avenue than “Knicks for clicks,” or “LOLKnicks,” where New York had often been the butt of jokes around the leagues for the last two decades.
Brunson unequivocally deserves to be a finalist for MVP. The last few weeks have proven to be the final masterstrokes of a brilliant season that has seen him fulfill the premise of what this award is about. He has been his team’s most valuable player and his contributions have provided more of an impact than almost any other star in the NBA.
He has done all this while single-handedly carrying the load of keeping his team near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks have been without three of their best players for considerable stretches this season.
All-Star Julius Randle’s season is over after suffering a dislocated shoulder on Jan. 27. OG Anunoby, whose 3-and-D presence sparked the Knicks’ torrid run in January, played just 23 of the last 50 games after dealing with an elbow issue that required surgery. Starting center Mitchell Robinson, who began the season as one of the most imposing offensive rebounders we have ever seen, has played just 30 games this season after needing ankle surgery in December.
Yet Brunson has found ways to produce at dizzying heights despite harboring all of the focus from every defense he faces.
Sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference last week, Brunson and the Knicks have gone 3-1 in their last four games to rise up to third, leap-frogging the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. After two consecutive 35-point efforts against the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls, Brunson dropped 43 points and eight assists in a 122-109 victory over the East’s No. 2 seed, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Sunday night. Two nights later, on Tuesday night in Chicago against the Bulls, he posted 45 and eight in a 128-117 victory.
His 10 40-point games are second-most in the NBA this season only behind Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks — performances that have suddenly become commonplace for the Knicks’ engine, which continues to answer the call while the stakes steadily rise.
Despite the lack of true star support, Brunson’s play has hit another level down the stretch to maintain the Knicks’ perch near the top of the East.
Over the last seven games, he became the first Knick ever to post more than 250 points with 40 assists (269 points, 61 assists). Over his last 17 games, since March 8, he’s averaging 32.5 points and 7.2 assists, which featured a career-high 61-point effort on March 29 in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. And while the Knicks learned they would be without Randle and spent considerable time during that stretch without Anunoby, Brunson guided them to an 11-6 record.
Big players come up big in big moments. They also deserve big-time recognition and big awards.
Having Brunson in that sort of conversation at this point is a no-brainer.
