Dallas Mavericks: Jalen Brunson gets some love from fellow rookies

Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard Jalen Brunson got some love from his peers on the recently completed annual rookie survey.

The Dallas Mavericks had a draft to remember in 2018.  They traded up from pick five to third overall to select Luka Doncic.  They also made a second draft night trade and selected three players in the second round.  Jalen Brunson, Ray Spalding, and Kostas Antetokounmpo all became Mavs during the proceedings.

The NBA recently held their annual Rookie Photo Shoot in New York.  As part of the day, they handed out a rookie survey for each player to fill out.  You can view the full final results here.

Mavs choice and 33rd overall pick Jalen Brunson rated surprisingly high.  Here are his marks.

Editor’s note: If you want to know how Doncic rated check out the article here.

Almost the biggest steal of the draft

Brunson rated tied for fourth on the question of which player was the biggest steal of the draft.  That is not surprising at all because all Villanova did was win two national championships in the three seasons Brunson was the starting point guard.

He also shot over 52 percent from the field each of the last two seasons and made over 40 percent from 3-point range as a junior.

Jalen Brunson is a winner and has a chance to play a significant role in the Mavericks run to glory in the coming seasons.

Second best playmaker

The rookie class voted on who was the top playmaker and Brunson scored 15 percent of the vote.  That put him second behind only Trae Young and firmly ahead of now teammate Luka Doncic.

Brunson was the primary creator and engine on those Villanova teams, so it not surprising other rookies view him as one of the best playmakers in the class.  They all respect his NCAA accomplishments and that likely plays a significant factor in the voting.

Final thoughts

The rookie survey took place, and Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson rated in the top-four in two of the seven categories.  That is impressive for a second-round choice.

Brunson cleaned up the awards in the NCAA, but he is facing a steep transition to the NBA.  Hopefully, the Mavs ease him in slowly and continue his development.  Brunson will be 22 on opening night, and he could be a massive contributor off the bench in Dallas’ next playoff team.  Keep an eye on Jalen Brunson this season.

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