The New York Knicks have had a solid showing thus far in the 2022-23 NBA season. They have been playing better basketball the last few weeks and find themselves right in the thick of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
At 30-26, the Knicks should, at the very least, host a game in the NBA Play-In Tournament. But, given the moves teams made ahead of the trade deadline, they could set their goals higher. New York acquired Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers to bolster their wing position, putting them in a position to catch the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat. Brooklyn traded away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving while Miami made no upgrades.
A big reason that the Knicks are even in this position is the performance of Jalen Brunson. New York was hit with a punishment for tampering with Brunson in the offseason before free agency, costing them a second-round pick. If that was the cost of upgrading a position that has been a thorn in their side for years, it was a pick well spent.
The Knicks had to make a ton of moves even to be in a position to sign Brunson. Multiple trades were made that resulted in clearing the salaries of Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel. It cost draft capital, but the Knicks recouped multiple protected first-round picks and signed Brunson, so it was a win.
NBA NEWS: Jalen Brunson & New York Knicks Updates
In his first season in New York, Brunson has played as well as the franchise could have hoped. He is averaging a career-high 23.2 points and 6.2 assists per game to go along with 3.5 rebounds in 34.9 minutes. Being the lead ball-handler after playing a secondary role to Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks is a role in that Brunson has thrived.
Where Brunson has really thrived is in clutch time. Down the stretch of close games is an area that the Knicks have struggled in during recent seasons. They lacked a ball handler to put the team in a position to succeed but also a player that could go and get a basket when one was needed most. Brunson has filled that role this season and has been excellent.
As pointed out by Tommy Beer, Brunson was leading the NBA in clutch points with 120. In 2023, Brunson has scored 60, putting him in rarified air. LeBron James was the only other player in the NBA that had more than 35 clutch points, scoring 51.
NBA NEWS: Jalen Brunson & New York Knicks Updates
In fact, Brunson’s performance was so good, he was outscoring entire teams in clutch time by himself. According to Beer, Brunson’s 60 clutch points were equal to or more than 11 teams had scored in 2023.
Brunson was deserving of an All-Star nod with that performance. People will point to the Knicks’ record as a reason that they only received one nomination, which went to Julius Randle, who is also deserving. That is a fair critique, but with so many players dropping out of the game, Brunson had another chance to make the All-Star game.
Kevin Durant will miss the game because of an injury and Brunson would have been a great replacement option. However, he was passed over once again with Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors getting the nod.
Siakam has certainly played well enough to earn an All-Star nod, but if records were a knock against the Knicks sending two players, Siakam should be held to a similar standard. The Raptors are only percentage points ahead of the Washington Wizards for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament, four games behind the Knicks.
NBA NEWS: Jalen Brunson & New York Knicks Updates
This is something that could motivate Brunson to continue playing at a high level. While not recognized with a spot on the team, his peers in the league have spoken highly about his performance and believe he was worthy of an All-Star nomination.
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