The 50 greatest NBA players of the 2020s (so far), ranked

28) Jalen Brunson

It has been a dramatic rise for New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who was selected 33rd overall by the Dallas Mavericks and spent the first four seasons of his career there before leaving to join the Knicks. At the time, it was seen as a decent move for the Knicks, who needed a point guard but Brunson has quickly emerged as one of the best players in the NBA.

In his first season there, in 2022–23, he saw his scoring average jump from 16.3 to 24 points, in addition to 6.2 assists per game. That strong play helped the Knicks make the Eastern Conference Semifinals after having missed the playoffs the year prior.

In 2023–24, Brunson was even better, averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists, resulting in his first all-star and All-NBA appearance and leading New York to their second-most successful season in the last 25 years. They won 50 games and came within a game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Looking ahead, Brunson is almost 28 years old and should still be playing at an all-star level by the end of the 2020s. Although he really only had two accolades in his first six seasons, he could make up for lost time now that the Knicks have reloaded by trading for Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby. With Brunson as their best player, he could rack up the accomplishments and possibly lead the Knicks to their first championship in more than 50 years.