It seems that despite being a legitimate NBA MVP candidate last season, New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson is not considered among the 10 best players in the league right now by ESPN.
There is a bunch of excitement surrounding the Knicks heading into the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. The franchise made a pair of blockbuster trades before the preseason began that saw them land two-way stud Mikal Bridges and four-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
Related: Where do the New York Knicks land in the latest NBA power rankings?
However, they were the final pieces on what was already an elite squad last season due to the outstanding play of point guard Jalen Brunson. After being snubbed for All-Star honors two seasons ago, Brunson’s efforts were recognized by getting his first trip to the midseason classic in 2023-24 and landing a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.
Unfortunately, despite leading a Knicks team that battled many injuries to the second seed in the East last year, that wasn’t enough to impress the ESPN panel picking the top 10 players in the league this season.
On Thursday, the massive media outlet released its list of the 10 best NBA players entering the 2024-25 season, and the New York Knicks star was nowhere to be found. Instead, the one-time All-Star was ranked 12th on their complete rankings of the 100 best. It must be noted that Brunson did move up 20 spots from 32 to 12.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson ranked behind Victor Wembayama on new ESPN list
However, some of the names in front of him on their list were a bit surprising. After just one season, French phenom Victor Wembanyama came in at 11 after being the top star on one of the worst teams in the NBA last season. Also, league legends Lebron James and Stephen Curry were ranked much higher than Brunson.
Granted they have far better career resumes, but this is a list of the best players right now. The Lakers and Warriors both struggled to reach the play-in tournament last season and each played with some elite players last season. Furthermore, both Curry and James were third-team All-NBA players last season.
On Sportsnaut’s rankings of the 50 best NBA players in 2024-25, Jalen Brunson landed at eight. Below you can find the complete top 10 from ESPN.
- 10. Anthony Edwards
- 9. Kevin Durant
- 8. Joel Embiid
- 7. Lebron James
- 6. Stephen Curry
- 5. Jayson Tatum
- 4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 2. Luka Doncic
- 1. Nikola Jokic
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