From backup to superstar: The rise of Knicks' Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson has experienced a rapid rise from NBA backup to team-leading superstar. The only question left is how high can he go, and how long can he stay there.

The most important fact all of the experts seemed to forget about Brunson is that he's a winner. He always has been. 

He somehow slipped to the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft as the 33rd overall pick with Dallas selecting him to serve as a potential backup to No. 3 pick and future star Luka Doncic. 

They forgot that every year since a state championship as a high school senior in 2014-15, any team Brunson has played for has won more with him in the game. 

This trend played out during his college career, as Villanova’s record improved every year along with Brunson’s minutes, culminating in two national championships and an NCAA Player of the Year Award for him.

Dallas didn’t know what they had in Brunson, and it wasn’t their fault. Doncic was and is that good. Brunson dutifully played the role of backup, and again his minutes began to climb along with the Mavericks winning percentage. 

A familiar pattern was emerging again for Brunson, but it wasn’t until the 2021-22 NBA playoffs that he finally woke the basketball world up. Starting in place of an injured Doncic in the first round, Brunson torched the Utah Jazz, averaging nearly 28 points a game and exploding for 41 in a pivotal game two the Mavs needed to win.

Brunson had suddenly become a desirable free agent, and he signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks in the summer of 2022. 

Again, the doubters surfaced, this time in the form of New York fans and media. All Brunson has done since that day is transform the Knicks back into serious contenders while simultaneously earning All-Star honors. 

The knock on Brunson’s historical impact seems to be that he wallowed for a few years in Dallas as a backup, but he is only 27 with three years of starter minutes logged. There is every reason to believe Brunson can keep this up for years to come. Numerous stars over the years have altered their games as they have aged, forgoing dunks and aggressive drives in favor of jump shots and shooting angles. 

Brunson, in his prime, already plays that game with precision, so he won’t have to change anything as his career progresses. There is no reason to believe that Brunson won’t continue his upward trajectory by leading New York back to the promised land. This is what he has always done. 

The Knicks have a superstar-in-waiting alongside an All-Star power forward, backed by a gritty and talented supporting cast that is beginning to rival any in the league. The team is young and hungry, and most importantly, they are led by a player who is a proven winner, and whose star continues to rise to the delight of a fervent and starving fanbase.