Is Jalen Brunson now a Top 5 player in the NBA?

[Muzzy66]

And before anyone goes crazy I think these 7 are clearly better players

Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Luka, SGA, Tatum, Edwards

I also happen to think these guys are better as well, but they are more debatable

Curry, Lebron, Durant, Booker

I'd put Brunson in the group with

Davis, Kawhi, Butler, Morant, Mitchell

Well said.    Actually I would put AD and Kawhi above Brunson too in terms of sheer basketball ability, but given their health issues probably fair to drop them a level. 

I probably put Butler above him too, if im honest.

[Roy H.]

32.6 ppg is nice, but he did do it on 26.2 shots which is a pretty pedestrian 1.2366 points pet shot (Tatum in the playoffs is at 1.3575 as a comparison). 31% from 3 on 6.5 attempts is Marcus Smart level bad. 

Brunson may be a top 5 most valuable player as he is everything to the Knicks, but I think you could argue he isn't even a top 10 player almost as easily as you could he is a top 5 player.

It depends.  In the regular season, he was very efficient.  28.7 points / .543 eFG% / 40.1% 3PT% / .592 TS%

For about half the year, he was the only guy for defenses to focus on.

In the playoffs his efficiency dropped, down to a fairly pedestrian .482 eFG% and .536 TS%. 

In evaluating whether he's top-5 or top-10, I'd go by the larger sample size of the regular season.  To me, roughly 29 points on that type of efficiency will get you near the top-5 most years.  It's basically what IT did for us in his best season, and was similar to Cleveland Kyrie as well.  Like those two, he also failed to play any defense.

For this year's regular season, I'd have him behind Jokic, Giannis, SGA, Tatum and Luka.  Most years, he'd be behind Embiid as well.  He was probably ahead of Edwards and Mitchell this season, but I rate those guys all in the same category.  So, between 7th and 9th, with the possibility that I'm overlooking somebody.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I don't know how a guy can be considered top 5 or even top 10 if he's a bad defender. Top 5 offensive player? Yeah, maybe.

[keevsnick]

32.6 ppg is nice, but he did do it on 26.2 shots which is a pretty pedestrian 1.2366 points pet shot (Tatum in the playoffs is at 1.3575 as a comparison). 31% from 3 on 6.5 attempts is Marcus Smart level bad. 

Brunson may be a top 5 most valuable player as he is everything to the Knicks, but I think you could argue he isn't even a top 10 player almost as easily as you could he is a top 5 player.

It depends.  In the regular season, he was very efficient.  28.7 points / .543 eFG% / 40.1% 3PT% / .592 TS%

For about half the year, he was the only guy for defenses to focus on.

In the playoffs his efficiency dropped, down to a fairly pedestrian .482 eFG% and .536 TS%. 

In evaluating whether he's top-5 or top-10, I'd go by the larger sample size of the regular season.  To me, roughly 29 points on that type of efficiency will get you near the top-5 most years.  It's basically what IT did for us in his best season, and was similar to Cleveland Kyrie as well.  Like those two, he also failed to play any defense.

For this year's regular season, I'd have him behind Jokic, Giannis, SGA, Tatum and Luka.  Most years, he'd be behind Embiid as well.  He was probably ahead of Edwards and Mitchell this season, but I rate those guys all in the same category.  So, between 7th and 9th, with the possibility that I'm overlooking somebody.

The thing about Brunson's efficiency is he had to be everything for New York. That's a team with no other plus ball handlers or self creating scorers. Its also a team that played at least 1 non shooting center at all times, and sometimes even 2 when the injuries got real bad. Not to mention teams would often sag off Josh Hart.

So on a team with no other creators, below average spacing and being the sole guy getting game planned for he still carried the team to offensively passable. That impressive even if the efficiency was not.

[Roy H.]

32.6 ppg is nice, but he did do it on 26.2 shots which is a pretty pedestrian 1.2366 points pet shot (Tatum in the playoffs is at 1.3575 as a comparison). 31% from 3 on 6.5 attempts is Marcus Smart level bad. 

Brunson may be a top 5 most valuable player as he is everything to the Knicks, but I think you could argue he isn't even a top 10 player almost as easily as you could he is a top 5 player.

It depends.  In the regular season, he was very efficient.  28.7 points / .543 eFG% / 40.1% 3PT% / .592 TS%

For about half the year, he was the only guy for defenses to focus on.

In the playoffs his efficiency dropped, down to a fairly pedestrian .482 eFG% and .536 TS%. 

In evaluating whether he's top-5 or top-10, I'd go by the larger sample size of the regular season.  To me, roughly 29 points on that type of efficiency will get you near the top-5 most years.  It's basically what IT did for us in his best season, and was similar to Cleveland Kyrie as well.  Like those two, he also failed to play any defense.

For this year's regular season, I'd have him behind Jokic, Giannis, SGA, Tatum and Luka.  Most years, he'd be behind Embiid as well.  He was probably ahead of Edwards and Mitchell this season, but I rate those guys all in the same category.  So, between 7th and 9th, with the possibility that I'm overlooking somebody.

The thing about Brunson's efficiency is he had to be everything for New York. That's a team with no other plus ball handlers or self creating scorers. Its also a team that played at least 1 non shooting center at all times, and sometimes even 2 when the injuries got real bad. Not to mention teams would often sag off Josh Hart.

So on a team with no other creators, below average spacing and being the sole guy getting game planned for he still carried the team to offensively passable. That impressive even if the efficiency was not.

Yeah.  From a certain point of view, it's similar to Lebron's 2015 Finals performance.  Do you focus on the terrible .431 eFG% / .477 TS%, or do you ignore the efficiency and focus on a guy averaging 36 / 13 / 9 with solid defense while playing 46 minutes per night?  On a team where his best teammates were Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith (after Kyrie's Game 1 injury)?

It's hard to be efficient when the entire focus of the opponent's defense is stopping you.

[Moranis]

Brunson's shooting efficiency has been significantly worse in the playoffs the last 3 seasons (and all years when his team won at least 1 series). This isn't a 1 time thing. And it is a lot worse the last 2 seasons. 

His per 36 totals are almost identical in the playoffs vs. the regular season the last 2. he just does it on more shots and a worse efficiency, while playing more minutes.

[Roy H.]

Brunson's shooting efficiency has been significantly worse in the playoffs the last 3 seasons (and all years when his team won at least 1 series). This isn't a 1 time thing. And it is a lot worse the last 2 seasons. 

His per 36 totals are almost identical in the playoffs vs. the regular season the last 2. he just does it on more shots and a worse efficiency, while playing more minutes.

In theory, shouldn't most players -- particularly primary scorers -- see their efficiency go down in the playoffs?  You would think defenses would be more focused and overall better.

[Moranis]

Brunson's shooting efficiency has been significantly worse in the playoffs the last 3 seasons (and all years when his team won at least 1 series). This isn't a 1 time thing. And it is a lot worse the last 2 seasons. 

His per 36 totals are almost identical in the playoffs vs. the regular season the last 2. he just does it on more shots and a worse efficiency, while playing more minutes.

In theory, shouldn't most players -- particularly primary scorers -- see their efficiency go down in the playoffs?  You would think defenses would be more focused and overall better.

Perhaps, but the Sixers were 11th and the Pacers were 24th in Def Rtg this season and neither has great defenders of PG's (both are better on the interior).