The NBA All-Star selections have been announced. Jalen Brunson leads the New York Knicks to a perfect record.
“It is a tragedy that Jalen Brunson is not an All-Star in the Eastern Conference!”
“Damian Lillard is a foul on Jalen Brunson” and “Jalen Brunson should start against Damian Lillard in the All-Star Game. Brunson plays better but Dame is popular” are just average opinions of Knicks fans.
Brunson is currently giving the Knicks 26.6 points on a 47.5% clip from all three levels of scoring this past season. Not to mention, he is also averaging 6.5 assists while grabbing 3.9 rebounds in the same span of time.
This makes it abundantly clear that thoughts like “Jalen Brunson is a great guy, not an All-Star” are bulls***.
Lillard was the one who won the starting position more controversially than the Knicks star. The fans didn’t like how this was done, and started to upset the committee that voted the Bucks guard. But his team has the second-best record in the conference, just three games behind.
The Bucks’ guard is also closely related to Brunson, averaging 4.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, more than the Knicks’ best player.
Jalen Brunson is averaging 26.6 points per game for the New York Knicks through 42 games this season.
Damian Lillard over Jalen Brunson is a crime.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 26, 2024
It still wasn’t enough to make him the 2024 All-Star Game starter in Indianapolis. Brunson’s name was left out of the NBA’s announcement of the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed Thursday night.
Jalen Brunson is the best point guard in the east and I’m tired of him getting disrespected pic.twitter.com/zan94Zccs4
— 𝙻̷𝚞̷𝚜̷ 📯 (@Theylovelus) January 26, 2024
Fans began to wonder why Brunson didn’t get the starting job for a second year when Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks got the start in his first year in the conference.
After scoring over 30 points for the Portland Trail Blazers last season, Lillard’s performance has dropped to 25.3 points per game this season.
Brunson’s points per game this season currently ranks him in the top 12 in the league.
Dame Lillard over Jalen Brunson doesn’t make statistical sense
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) January 26, 2024
West Starters are on point
But Lilliard starting over Jalen Brunson is pure robbery
— Emo Jimmy (@WheelerJaylen) January 26, 2024
Jalen Brunson: 26.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, 47.5% FG
Damian Lillard: 25.3 PPG, 6.8 APG, 42.6% FG
Dame makes the All-Star Game as a starter over Jalen Brunson
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE?! pic.twitter.com/MidwclSNyG
— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) January 26, 2024
Voting for the 10 East and West starters was decided through a weighted voting system that favors the popular vote, with a weight of 50%. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Brunson finished second in the media poll but didn’t get enough fan votes to earn the starting job.
Jalen Brunson finished second in media voting for All-Star starters, but ultimately he didn’t get the starting spot because he was way behind in the fan voting — ironic, given the team Brunson plays for and how active its fan base is.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 26, 2024
Media, players, coaches voted for Jalen Brunson. He lacked greatly in the fan voting department and it cost him the starting gig.
Fans might have spent more time blaming media coverage than actually voting – ha.
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) January 26, 2024
Fans reacted as follows:
No excuses when you’re in the largest market and can’t win an online vote over Milwaukee & Indianapolis.
— CAGEY 🔥🎤📻 (@CageyProlific) January 26, 2024
Ernie just said it, only reason is because of the fan vote
— njgiants80s (@njgiants80s) January 26, 2024
Lillard once was tied with Luka for a starting spot when media and players both had dame in, but lost on the fan vote tiebreaker. So he’s owed one lol
— Jason Cigan (@JCigan) January 26, 2024
Could go either way but a crime? Little dramatic..
Brunson: 26.6/3.9/6.5 on 59.5% TS%
Lillard: 25.3/4.3/6.8 on 60.3% TS%— Todd G (@WECareSports) January 26, 2024
i get it halliburton is a stud but brunson has been better this year an there’s no doubt bout it , haliburton is so gassed up
— Justice Torres (@JusticeTorres17) January 26, 2024
This is what happens when analysts constantly talk about what Brunson isn’t
This influences casuals who don’t watch the games
— kap (@hopefulmetsfan) January 26, 2024
Or, maybe, he fell victim the league’s 10-player ballot system.
The casual audience, who probably haven’t watched Brunson, or are believing the media coverage abouy him, certainly wouldn’t pick him over name-brand “stars” like Mitchell and Lillard
— zach (@_zachblatter) January 26, 2024
Brunson didn’t need more votes than Lillard. Just being in fifth place in fan voting and not sixth would’ve done it
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) January 26, 2024
Ask yourself who the casual NBA fan knows more…
7x all-NBA 8x all-star who been the face of a franchise for 11 seasons Dame Lillard
Breakout star who's only been in the league for 6 seasons and is recently becoming a franchise face Jalen Brunson
At least try to be serious
— da golden (@blacksoular) January 26, 2024
Pretty simple answer… Haliburton & Dame are much more fun to watch than Brunson's pound the ball style.
On Team USA it was painfully clear, Hali's style is the opposite of JB; move the ball, enable teammates. Thats why Brunson was getting benched in crunch time.
— Jeff Pryor (@pryor_notices) January 26, 2024
Casuals don’t vote for Knicks players. Dame isn’t top 5 in voting if you needed to pass a test that proves you watch more than 30 games a year. Fans that only consume basketball via 2K and TikTok vote strictly on popularity.
— Charley Hustle (@Charley_Hustle1) January 26, 2024
I don't know why it's bugging me so much that everyone is blaming the fans…Dame didn't get it bc of Milwaukee fans he's just way way more famous (and he's awesome). Jalen has been better this year, but it's not some travesty, and it's def not Knicks fans fault
— NY Forever (@RobertPergament) January 26, 2024
Remember when Grant Hill kept getting voted in but was always hurt every season. Fan voting is a joke. End It
— | CD 14 | (@FelineQuickness) January 26, 2024
Fukit, the team still has work to do. Our boys get to rest n spend quality time with their families. It's all good.
— Knicfly//#FIRETHIBS.My teams are in a dark place (@Just4Knicks76) January 26, 2024
The disrespect for Brunson continues smh
— ♏️ (@DontCallMeMiggy) January 26, 2024
Absolutely unbelievable
— Ethan – uɐɥʇƎ🧀 (@ethannnnnnnn23) January 26, 2024
Relax! Lillard has been doing this a lot longer than Brunson and is much more popular around the league. It’s a popularity contest anyway and plays on a better team.
— Eric (@eric_pellis) January 26, 2024
To seriously answer a rhetorical question:
Probably half the votes are from kids under 15 and most of it comes down to name recognition and they know who Dame is bc he’s been a star for as long as they can remember
— Jerrick White (@BostonJerry) January 26, 2024
