Jalen Brunson was snubbed from being an All-Star. He and Julius Randle should be representing the New York Knicks this year!
Was Jalen Brunson snubbed from becoming an All-Star? Yes, next question.
No, but really—while having two all-stars represent a 7th-seeded team always felt unrealistic, it hurt not to hear Jalen Brunson’s name called when they announced the All-Star reserves on Thursday’s Inside the NBA pregame show.
Brunson has been everything the New York Knicks have needed and more. The Knicks’ best guard since Mark Jackson is averaging 23.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists on .473/.404/.843 splits. His efficient scoring, elite ball control, and overall ability to make something out of nothing during bad offensive possessions have made him so crucial to this team. Remember when people thought his contract was an overpay? Now, it’s viewed as a steal, and the per-year figure lessens each year.
Speaking of which, congrats to Julius Randle for earning his second All-Star nod amid a season arguably even more stellar than the 2020-21 campaign. Well deserved. His numbers speak for themselves: 24.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on .458/.336/.752 splits.
In my first-ever KFTV article, I suggested that a solid point guard would (re)unlock Randle and make the game a lot simpler for him. I even listed Brunson as a possible free-agent target. But never did I imagine that the 2022-23 Knicks would feature those two as an all-star tandem.
They were very close, but the 30 head coaches around the league voted for guards Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Halliburton, and Jaylen Brown over Brunson. No surprise for Brown and Hali (sorry, Wally), as both have been having great seasons and were serious contenders for a starting spot in the game).
Holiday feels more like Brunson’s main competition. This will be the Bucks point guard’s first all-star appearance since 2013, even though he’s been consistently good for over a decade. Opposing players and coaches continuously rave about his all-time level defensive ability, and he’s a solid offensive player, too. Currently, he’s averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.1 assists to help lead Milwaukee to the second seed in the East, even with Khris Middleton still regaining form after his wrist injury.
Can we say for certain that Holiday deserves it over Jalen Brunson? If the coaches prioritized winning, I could understand that. Although, I could also argue that Brunson has more of an offensive load to carry on any given night, while Holiday can play a supporting role to Giannis Antetokounmpo. But I’m just nitpicking—congrats to Holiday.
What about the other selections? Coaches vote in two reserve guards, frontcourt players, and wildcards. According to CBS Sports, Halliburton was selected as a wild card along with DeMar DeRozan, who’s averaging 26.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists for the 9th-seeded Chicago Bulls. Brunson definitely has a case to be made over DeRozan, but I think the coaches preferred to select at least one representative from the play-in and better teams than have two players represent a ‘mid’ team. So, congrats to DeRozan.
James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Pascal Siakam, Trae Young, and Bradley Beal were notable names also left out of the Eastern All-Star roster. The latter three are part of teams hovering outside of the playoff picture, though I’d select Siakam over DeRozan if I had a vote. The same goes for Butler, who’s receiving the Brunson treatment given that Adebayo already made the team, though he’s played only 39 out of 54 games thus far.
Harden has played 36 games, but his 21.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists have helped lead the 76ers to the third seedBeforere the Kyrie Irving tradethe Nets , had two all-star starters representing them despite both players missing 10+ games as well. The system is anything but fair. And unfortunately, even if the Irving trade opens up a spot in the East, or if another player misses the game with an injury, Brunson still may not be selected to partake in the Salt Lake City festivities. But there is still hope.
After missing Thursday’s win against the Heat with an illness (probably cured by ice cream and tissues), Brunson dropped 41 points against the Clippers in his first game since the snub. Clearly, he took the snub personally, and his case for a 2024 nod has just begun.
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