Jalen

Brunson

Brunson’s gotten off to a slow start by his standards, shooting 13-of-32 from the field in New York’s first two games. The Knicks star also didn’t shoot well from the foul line, missing three of his six attempts in Boston. Those rostering Brunson don’t have much to worry about, as the season is only two games old. However, they would certainly like to see him clean up his shooting in Sunday’s game against the Magic.

It was a rough shooting night for Brunson, and he wasn’t able to capture the same late-game magic that brought the Knicks a championship last season. 15 of his 21 points came in the first half, but he shot just 2-of-10 from the floor after the break. He’ll be much better than he was in this game moving forward, and he’ll continue to be the focal point of the offense.

Brunson was back in the lineup after skipping Tuesday’s matchup against the Raptors, which was the second night of a preseason back-to-back. The 30-year-old point guard led the Knicks with 20 points in the 122-120 victory. Brunson has averaged at least 26 points in each of the last three years, making him a rock solid pick late in the second round of fantasy drafts.

Monday’s game was the first of two in as many nights for the Knicks, who visit the Raptors on Tuesday. Even if Brunson and the other starters are available, they may not play much in New York’s final road game this preseason. Unsurprisingly, Brunson was the most productive starter against the Timberwolves, and he’ll lead the way offensively on many nights during the regular season.

Brunson and the other Knicks starters were done for the night at halftime, and the reigning NBA Finals MVP looked sharp in his 15 minutes. Given the workload he’ll carry once the results count, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much from Brunson during the preseason, aside from a potential “dress rehearsal” in their finale. He’s worth considering in the second round of standard drafts and shouldn’t fall past the end of the third.

The episode is set to air on NBC and Peacock on September 26. After leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years, Brunson, the reigning Finals MVP, is on top of the basketball world. Now he’ll join a long line of pro athletes who have hosted Saturday Night Live. Brunson had offseason wrist surgery, but he’s expected to be ready for training camp later this month. The 30-year-old point guard has an ADP in the late-second round of fantasy drafts.

Despite an injured left wrist, Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA title since 1973 this past spring. Now focused on retaining the crown for another season, the star point guard is in a good place health-wise after undergoing surgery on his left wrist earlier this summer. Brunson told the New York Post that he “feels good,” and he’s expected to be ready when training camp opens in late September. Given the timeline, fantasy managers should not have any concerns about Brunson’s availability. He should be either a second- or third-round pick in standard league drafts.

Per usual, the NBA will have its brightest stars playing on Christmas Day. The NBA Finals rematch will start the day at 12 p.m. ET and will be followed by Heat-Celtics, 76ers-Lakers, Thunder-Timberwolves and Nuggets-Warriors. Aside from the team and player rivalries that will add to the drama, this will also be LeBron James’ return to Los Angeles after spending the last eight seasons as a Laker.

While this shouldn’t impact Brunson’s availability to start next season, it does make his Finals MVP run even more impressive. Scoring 45 points in a closeout win while dealing with an injury in his shooting wrist is just another testament to Brunson’s resilience. He’ll still have plenty of time to get in shape prior to training camp.

As he has done many times since he arrived in New York, Brunson shouldered a significant amount of the scoring workload on a night when many of his teammates struggled. The captain scored 29 points after halftime, becoming the first player in Knicks franchise history to score 40 points or more in an NBA Finals game. Unsurprisingly, Brunson was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Looking ahead to next season, Brunson has top-25 fantasy potential, even if he did not reach those heights in 2025-26. However, the rotation and responsibilities should be locked in more than they were in head coach Mike Brown’s first season at the helm.