Ranking the most egregious NBA All-Star snubs

Near NBA All-Star #2: Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)

The New York Knicks are… respectable again, and you can directly correlate the team’s slight return to form to two things: Julius Randle’s All-Star resurgence and Jalen Brunson’s performance in his first season with the team.

Brunson, who signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks this past summer, has more than lived up to that contract. In addition to averaging 23.2 points and 6.2 assists per game, Brunson’s impact metrics (+/-1.2 Estimated Plus/Minus) highlight how valuable he is to the team.

Sure, you’d prefer a not-terrible defense (minus-2.4 defensive EPM), but Knicks fans will certainly take his efficiency in the pick-and-roll (70th percentile) and propensity to salvage stagnant possessions with his tough shotmaking.

Perhaps Brunson would’ve made the team had Tyrese Haliburton not progressed as quickly or if Kyrie Irving had been traded to the West team sooner. Instead, the Knicks will have to wait another year to see if one of their point guards makes the All-Star team.