Jalen Brunson justifies Mike Brown’s ‘unguarded’ move against the Heat

U Jalen Brunsonthe New York Knicks they have the most desirable type of player in basketball: the superstar. The point guard’s 47-point performance against the Miami Heat on Sunday aptly concluded his MVP caliber week, for which he deserved his second Player of the week season mark. It also confirmed a bold statement from the Knicks head coach Mike Brown he recently said of his point guard’s offensive game. On Friday night, even after the loss, he basically called Brunson “outrageous.”

“I don’t think anybody’s giving him any trouble. Now everybody’s getting up for him, playing him, the right way. They’re going to try to turn him over and make it difficult. But usually, when he’s done shooting the ball, he gets to the point and creates his space. And that’s whether he’s going to make it or miss the shot…that’s all it is, more than anything else,” Brown said after the loss, more than anything else, 107. Philadelphia 76ers.

On Tuesday, Brunson won both NBA Cup Championship and MVP. On Wednesday against Pacers, made his own shot to win before making it. That’s why Brown debated him among famous greats like Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. The 29-year-old point guard struggled in Friday’s loss, making just seven of his 22 shots. He quickly redeemed himself with his 27 points in the first half against the Heat.

Sunday’s game was the team’s fourth in six days, but Brunson delivered his best performance at Madison Square Garden. His 15-of-26 shooting supported Brown’s claim that there is no defender archetype that usually hinders his offensive attack. He recorded eight assists without turning the ball over. That made him the first NBA player this season to record at least 40 points and five assists without and trafficaccording to the Knicks.

Brunson’s MVP campaign is blazing with a game against the Heat

This season, Brown has been singing Brunson’s MVP praises every night. The coach told reporters in late November that MVP discussions should “begin and end” with the best players from each conference’s top three teams. Brunson has certainly been the best player on the Knicks, seeded second in the East, this year.

“When you have to (play) Jalen Brunson, you’re going to be on your toes,” Brown told reporters Friday. “Because you want to show everybody that in your mind you’re on the level … that you have the ability to do it.”

Despite the offseason discourse about how Brunson’s participation would decrease, his usage rate increased. Even in the midst of a jump from 28.9% to 30.8%, the scoring machine still produces a superior impact. His offensive +5.7 rated plus-minus (O-EPM) best suited to his career mark from 2024 who was in the NBA’s 99th percentile in dunks and three-pointers.

Only six players have a higher O-EPM than Brunson this season. One is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played just 17 games for the 11-18 Milwaukee Bucks. The others are Nikola Jokic, Shai Giljus-Aleksandar, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets are the first and third seeds in the Western Conference, and Gildžius-Aleksandar and Jokic have a multi-year candidacy for a reason. Curry’s Warriors are still under .500 as Christmas approaches. Doncic is shining in Los Angeles and just got his colleague back. The Lakers, however, are only fourth in the West. And the 15-14 Cavaliers, who the Knicks play on Christmas Day, were as disappointing as any team.

Maybe Mitchell will bring the coals to The Garden in the form of threes, impressing the home crowd enough to spark an MVP race. Cade Cunningham didn’t win an NBA Cup, but he could continue to surpass New York in the standings. Doncic could lead his Lakers to the top three seeds in the West before the end of the year.

For now, though, Brunson is emerging as the clear third choice for MVP behind Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander. That, along with an NBA Cup championship, is the best Christmas present the New York star could have given Knicks fans.